Spring 2022 Sustainability Talks

Spring leavesFor many years, the Mitchell Center has hosted an innovative Sustainability Talks series during the fall and spring semesters. The goal of these talks is to provide students, faculty, and interested citizens with opportunities to learn about: 1) the multi-faceted nature of sustainability problems; 2) the value of connecting different forms of knowledge and know-how in efforts to understand and solve such problems; and 3) the ways in which partnerships between universities and diverse stakeholders can facilitate efforts to identify and implement useful solutions.

All talks are Mondays at 3pm and are available via Zoom and in-person at 107 Norman Smith Hall, UMaine. For Zoom attendees, registration is required for each talk. Please go to individual event pages to register. Many talks are recorded and can be found on our YouTube site after the event.

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January 31
2021 Mitchell Center Sustainability Awards Presentation
Each of the four awardees will give a brief presentation on their research
This event is available on YouTube

February 7
The Warming Sea: A Symphonic Exploration of Hope in the Face of the Climate Crisis
Kate Dickerson, Founder and Director, Maine Science Festival and Lucas Richman, Composer, Music Director, Bangor Symphony Orchestra
This talk is available on YouTube

February 14
Wabanaki Fisheries: What Rivers Can Teach Us About Partnerships
Anthony Sutton, Community Food Facilitator, ME Shellfish Learning Network and Adjunct Instructor, Dept. of Communication and Journalism, UMaine
This talk is available on YouTube

February 28
Navigating Change: Strategies and Structures to Increase the Resilience of the Coast of Maine
Suzanne MacDonald, Chief Community Development Officer, Island Institute
This talk is available on YouTube

March 7 
Dukes of Hazards: Reducing Natural Disaster Risks with Community Planning
Sam Roy, Natural Hazards Planner, Maine Emergency Management Agency
This talk is available on YouTube

March 21
Equity and Environmental Justice: Opportunities for the State of Maine
Jessica Scott, Senior Climate Advisor, Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future
This talk is available on YouTube

March 28
The Maine Forest Tick Survey: Cross-Disciplinary and Community-Engaged Science for Public Health
Allison Gardner, Assistant Professor, Biology & Ecology, UMaine
This talk is available on YouTube

April 4
The Forever Chemicals: PFAS in Maine – What They Are, Where They Come From, and What Can We Do About Them
UMaine PFAS research team: Onur Apul, Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering; Dianne Kopec, Research Fellow, Mitchell Center; Caroline Noblet, Associate Professor, School of Economics; John Peckenham, Research Associate
This talk is available on YouTube
A related PFAS presentation by John Peckenham is also available on YouTube

April 11
Building a Community of Interest and Response to an Invasive Species Threatening Maine’s Ash Trees and Wabanaki Cultural Lifeways
John Daigle, Professor, Forest Recreation Management, UMaine
This talk is available on YouTube
PowerPoint slides for this talk are also available

April 18
Art as an Agent of Change: The Emergence of ‘Creative Ecologies’
Justin Wolff, Professor of Art History, Chair of the Dept. of Art, UMaine and Susan Smith, Director of the Intermedia Program, Interim Director of the Lord Hall Gallery, UMaine
This talk is available on YouTube