Spring 2025 Talks

For 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 following the event.
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February 3
Energizing Equal Access: Partnering on Research for Resilience in Maine Communities and Wabanaki Tribes
Sharon Klein and Caroline Noblet, School of Economics, University of Maine
Co-sponsors:
Maine Climate Science Information Exchange
Native American Programs/Wabanaki Center, UMaine
Ecology & Environmental Sciences, UMaine
School of Economics, UMaine
A recording of this talk is available
February 10
Retooling State Government in an Era of Loose Networks: An Invitation to Collaborate
Samantha Horn, Director, Maine Office of Community Affairs
Co-sponsors:
Ecology & Environmental Sciences, UMaine
Dept. of Communication & Journalism, UMaine
School of Economics, UMaine
A recording of this talk is available
The slide presentation for this talk is available
February 24
Casting a Wide Net: Diversity of Perspectives Improves Management of Gulf of Maine Ecosystems
Jocelyn Runnebaum, Marine Program Manager, The Nature Conservancy in Maine
Co-sponsors:
National Research Traineeship Program – Ecosystem Science in the Face of Rapid Ocean Change: A Convergence Approach
Ecology & Environmental Sciences, UMaine
School of Marine Sciences, UMaine
March 3
At Last, Restoration of Maine’s Longest River: the Unprecedented Cleanup of the Mighty Penobscot
Lauri Gorton, Program Manager, Greenfield Penobscot Estuary Remediation Trust LLC
Co-sponsors:
Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology, UMaine
Ecology & Environmental Science, UMaine
Civil & Environmental Engineering, UMaine
March 10
Wicked Storms and Rising Oceans: Leading an Island Community in Peril
Kathleen Billings, Stonington Town Manager
Co-sponsors:
Maine Climate Science Information Exchange
Ecology & Environmental Sciences, UMaine
School of Economics, UMaine
March 24
The Tekαkαpimək Contact Station at Katahdin Woods & Waters
Panel discussion with Wabanaki leaders
Co-sponsor:
Native American Programs/Wabanaki Center, UMaine
Ecology & Environmental Sciences, UMaine
March 31
TBA
April 7
Closing the Loop: Opportunities for Industrial Circular Economy Exchanges in Maine
Cindy Isenhour, Reed Miller, John Belding and Jean MacRae, University of Maine
Co-sponsors:
Ecology & Environmental Sciences, UMaine
Advanced Manufacturing Center, UMaine
April 14
Managing for Sustainability and Climate Resilience: The future of agroecological wild blueberry management in Maine and maritime Canada
Brogan Tooley, Senior Manager, Agroecology Department, Wyman’s
Rachel Schattman, Sustainable Agriculture, University of Maine
Co-sponsors:
Ecology & Environmental Sciences, UMaine
School of Food & Agriculture, UMaine
April 21
Reconciling with Resilience: How Maine Can Bounce Back From Floods
Emmett Gartner, Maine Monitor
Co-sponsors:
Maine Climate Science Information Exchange
Ecology & Environmental Sciences, UMaine
Dept. of Communication & Journalism, UMaine
Civil & Environmental Engineering, UMaine