Forestry and the Environment

‘The Maine Question’ explores impact of student research and development

Conducting research with global impact and local relevance is a quintessential service of the University of Maine. Out of all university research conducted in Maine, 89% occurs through UMaine. The insight and innovation it yields annually benefits hundreds of businesses. Research funding in 2023 reached an all time high of close to $190 million. In […]

Read more

A photo of the exterior of Hotel Ursa's Holmes Hall

New on-campus hotel rooted in UMaine history

Walking into the renovated Holmes and Coburn halls will give some visitors a sense of déjà vu. The historic buildings, built at the University of Maine in 1887–88 now serve as part of Hotel Ursa, a new independent hotel opening March 5, where they proudly display some original features and other artifacts of the university’s […]

Read more

Bangor Daily News cites tick research by UMaine graduate students

The Bangor Daily News cited research UMaine graduate students are conducting in a piece about young moose and their likelihood for survival this winter. The research helped estimate winter ticks in the moose population, which is at one of the lowest levels researchers have seen in 11 years, giving young moose better odds for survival […]

Read more

Boston Globe highlights work done by UMaine Climate Change Institute

The Boston Globe showcased work done by UMaine’s Climate Change Institute on the pattern of record sea-surface temperatures. These patterns have been fueled by both El Niño and human-caused climate change. The planet’s average sea surface temperature reached an all-time record of 70.2 degrees Fahrenheit (21.2 Celsius) on Feb. 9. 

Read more

Central Maine promotes UMaine’s soil testing service 

Central Maine promoted UMaine’s soil testing service and shared a recommendation to chaos garden. This form of gardening involves using up any old seeds you’ve got lying around. The UMaine soil testing service notes that excessive rain last year washed nitrogen out of the soil, so a soil test would be a good idea for […]

Read more

Bangor Daily News interviews UMaine climatologist Sean Birkel on frost quakes

The Bangor Daily News interviewed Sean Birkel, a Maine state climatologist at the University of Maine Climate Change Institute, about frost quakes. “Maine winters are warming and as part of a changing climate, we are seeing a tendency for more extreme weather events. In winter this can mean patterns that bring extreme cold followed by […]

Read more

A photo of the Maine woods

From pests to pine health, $1.4M allows new forest research to take root 

The Northern Forest Region — 26 million acres of woodlands spanning Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and northern New York — is changing due to climate change, invasive insects and other threats. Protecting these ecologically, economically and culturally vital forests will require novel tools and knowledge, prompting new University of Maine research launching this spring.    UMaine […]

Read more

FOX 22 highlights federal funding for UMaine bioproducts research

WFVX TV (FOX 22 Bangor) promoted $745,000 in federal funding for a University of Maine research project to accelerate the transition from plastic to a more sustainable, recyclable and biodegradable forest-based packaging for consumer products. This will be achieved through rapid prototyping and the development of a pilot scale production of high-value molded pulp products.

Read more

Maine Monitor cites UMaine research on road salt

In a story titled “How pesticides, road salt threaten Maine’s water supply,” The Maine Monitor cited a 2022 University of Maine study which found that Maine used 493,000 tons of road salt in 2019-20, equal to roughly 787 pounds of salt for every resident. The evidence of many different pollutants found in road salt can […]

Read more