Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions

Mitchell Center Faculty Fellows Michael Haedicke and Lauren Ross have received UMaine Faculty Research Awards to further their work. Haedicke, an associate professor of sociology, was given a summer research award for his project, “Constructing and Contesting Climate Adaptation Plans in Southern Louisiana.” Ross, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, received a scholarly […]

We’re excited to announce that six projects have been awarded Mitchell Center Sustainability Grants for fiscal year 2022. Three of the funded projects are highlighted below and the rest will be featured in an upcoming Mitchell Center news article. Exploring the Potential for Reusable Take-out Packaging in Maine Maine residents are generating more waste per […]

The Bangor Daily News, Centralmaine.com, the Sun Journal, and Waste Advantage Magazine reported on the July 24 launch of a municipal food recycling program organized by the towns of Readfield, Fayette and Wayne, in partnership with the Mitchell Center and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The program, which is part of the Food Rescue MAINE initiative, […]

Lake Auburn is the main source of drinking water for the Lewiston-Auburn area, and since 1991 the water district has received a waiver of filtration requirements due to the lake’s historically high water quality. Currently, development and recreational uses are restricted to varying degrees around and on the lake. A recent study commissioned by the […]

Margo Lukens, professor of English at UMaine, talked with the Bangor Daily News about the recently published book, “‘Still They Remember Me’: Penobscot Transformer Tales, Vol. 1.” Lukens co-authored the book with Carol Dana, Penobscot language master, and Conor Quinn, linguistics faculty at the University of Southern Maine, as a teaching tool for Penobscot citizens seeking to relearn their […]

Tourism is one of the largest industries in Maine, and Acadia National Park serves as a major driver. A new study led by Lydia Horne and overseen by Sandra De Urioste-Stone explores how perceptions of climate change risks may affect visitation and visitors’ experiences at the Park, and provides guidance for communicating about those risks. […]

From road-side flea markets and high-end antique stores to Uncle Henry’s circulars and church thrift shops—signs of Maine’s tradition of reuse are hard to miss. ResourcefulME is a multi-year research project that explores the social, environmental and economic value of Maine’s vibrant reuse economy. Using a unique combination of in-depth, on-the-ground conversations, archival research, and spatial […]

In a recent episode of the In Common podcast, Bridie McGreavy talks with Karen Bieluch about environmental communication, her work with Maine shellfisheries and in freshwater ecosystems, and how communication shapes collaboration. In Common explores the lives, research and activities of scholars and practitioners as they promote sustainable human-environment interactions. McGreavy is associate professor in […]

A new study by a team of researchers from UMaine and Wabanaki Tribal Nations identifies strategies for research and collaboration led by Indigenous communities that have the potential to promote decolonization of academic institutions and support tribal sovereignty. The team was led by Bridie McGreavy and Darren Ranco, both Mitchell Center faculty fellows, and included […]

Jared Entwistle, a UMaine master’s student in ecology and environmental sciences and business administration, recently authored a column on reusable packaging in the Bangor Daily News. Entwistle is a member of the Mitchell Center’s Materials Management team and the Scholars Strategy Network, a group of publicly engaged scholars from colleges and universities across the country. […]