Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions

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 […]

Mitchell Center members share a passion for tackling complex sustainability problems that matter to people and communities through collaboration with diverse stakeholders and across many different areas of expertise. They seek to connect knowledge with action to create a brighter social, environmental and economic future in Maine and beyond. Learn more about who they are […]

Mitchell Center community members actively publish their research across a diverse range of academic journals. The following is a sample of recent papers by Mitchell Center faculty, students, and alumni. Divided Perception of Drinking Water Safety: Another Manifestation of America’s Racial Gap Onur Apul, Rianna Grissom, Uzay Damali, Robin Toof ACS ES&T Water. 2021, Volume […]

The Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions at the University of Maine was selected as a finalist for one of seven Falling Walls Science Breakthroughs of the Year awards for 2021. Germany’s Falling Walls Foundation selected the Mitchell Center as one of 10 finalists in the Science Innovation and Management category for its global leadership […]

National Public Radio cited a study of resilience in the Maine lobster fishery in a recent story about changes in the industry that will also impact the communities that depend on it. The study, Fishing in Hot Water: Defining Sentinel Indicators of Resilience in the American Lobster Fishery, is led by Mitchell Center Faculty Fellow Joshua […]