Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions

An article about research on archaeological collections from Wabanaki cultural sites in Acadia National Park was recently featured by UMaine News. The research is led by Bonnie Newsom, assistant professor of anthropology and a faculty associate with the Climate Change Institute at UMaine, and was recently published in the journal Genealogy. “We hope to change […]

Sara Kelemen, a UMaine master’s student in plant, soil and environmental sciences, co-authored a recent report published by Rutgers University on how agricultural practices can help mitigate climate change. Researchers found that “increasing adoption of agricultural practices such as cover-cropping, grazing management and agroforestry can increase the amount of carbon stored in soils to help […]

John Peckenham, a Mitchell Center research associate, was quoted in a recent Bangor Daily News article on some of the issues associated with landfills established in old quarries, including two current ones in Rockland and Rockport. Peckenham has worked for decades on wastewater and water pollution in Maine and has direct experience with contamination of […]

As reported recently by UMaine News, new research from the University of Maine and University of Vermont discovered that residents in their respective states grew, fished, raised, foraged or hunted more of their own food during the COVID-19 pandemic. “We should think carefully about how supporting our local food systems can help alleviate the negative […]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, NOAA Fisheries and the University of Maine have initiated a unique partnership to better understand how U.S. fishermen market their catch. The partnership will increase understanding of the scope and scale of local and regional seafood marketing practices nationwide, and help remove barriers to direct marketing for the commercial fishing […]

A UMaine archaeological survey team has received a grant from the Maine Historical Preservation Commission to use technology to update the status of four prehistoric coastal shell middens in Lincoln County that are now on the National Register of Historic Places. The $23,000 MHPC grant, which has been matched by UMaine, supports a three-part project […]

The Kennebunk Post and Portsmouth Herald recently highlighted Food Rescue MAINE, a Mitchell Center program, in a story about the organization We Compost It! canceling its curbside pickup service for food waste. According to the articles, a resident recommended that the Town Council explore Food Rescue MAINE, which is a statewide project focused on reducing food waste.

Adam Daigneault, E.L. Giddings Associate Professor of Forest Policy and Economics and Mitchell Center faculty fellow, testified Sept. 29 before a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee focused on small business and rural development. The subcommittee is chaired by Maine Rep. Jared Golden. A focus of the hearing was the role of sustainable forestry in addressing […]

Recent changes to Maine’s Food Code allow Maine businesses to offer reusable and returnable take-out food containers, giving businesses more options for serving their customers and reducing costs while also helping to curb pollution and protect Maine’s woods, waters and wildlife. The updated policy is a result of findings from a research project that is exploring the […]