Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions

Brett Gerard, a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Earth and Climate Sciences, has been selected for the Michael J. Eckardt Dissertation Fellowship Award for the 2016 – 2017 academic year in recognition of his outstanding academic performance. Working with the Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions, Gerard’s research examines the characteristics and […]

For Travis Blackmer, the summer of 2011 was a summer of garbage. And it changed his life. While classmates at the University of Maine were waiting tables, pounding nails, or painting houses to make tuition money, the 20-year old undergrad was pawing through trash. Tons and tons of trash. But he didn’t really mind. After […]

It’s only human to make trash. Even early hunter-gathers had a waste stream. Of course, back then most of it was biodegradable and, even when it did pile up — discarded mussel shells for instance, the long-term impact was negligible. Thousands of years later it’s a different story. Humans create mountains of waste. Americans alone […]

As part of our holiday celebration, we invited our faculty, researchers and students to submit ‘sustainability’ photos that they’ve taken in the last year, and attendees voted for their favorites. This photo by Bridie McGreavy titled, “Where water and sky meet on the mudflat” won first prize. Please contact Bridie for permission to use or […]

A research team from the University of New England, led by Chris Feurt and Pam Morgan, recently published a report on the work they completed under the NSF EPSCoR Sustainability Solutions Initiative grant. The report, titled, “Sustaining the Saco Estuary”, is focused on the ten-kilometer long estuarine portion of the Saco River which lies below […]

We are excited to announce the winners of the 2015 Mitchell Center awards that were presented at our holiday celebration last week. Award winners are listed below. Outstanding Progress on “The Road to Solutions” Interdisciplinary Research Team Award Materials Management Research Team Outstanding Mentorship of a Student in Sustainability Research Bridie McGreavy, Assistant Professor, Communication […]

Safe Beaches, Shellfish, and You is an online storytelling site that focuses on the work of the New England Sustainability Consortium, or NEST. The NEST team is a group of researchers from colleges and universities across Maine and New Hampshire seeking to contribute to the sustainability of the region. The Mitchell Center is the lead […]

By JOE RANKIN The process of making a traditional Native American ash basket starts in the woods. It begins with finding a good stand of black ash trees. Then selecting the best for harvesting. Pounding the debarked boles to release the growth rings and make splints. Then splitting the splints. Only then does weaving begin. […]

By JOE RANKIN The cusk isn’t going to win any piscine beauty contests. It’s no colorful clownfish, sleek tuna, mighty sailfish, or even a silvery sardine. It looks like a cross between a catfish and an eel. Big flattish head. Little barbell on its chin. A single dorsal fin and a single long anal fin. […]

A new Mitchell Center project will explore efforts in Maine to promote sustainable forest management, including a newly implemented state policy that provides both incentives to landowners and a more scientific approach. Erin Simons-Legaard, Assistant Research Professor in the School of Forest Resources, and a team of UMaine faculty, graduate students, and research scientists will […]