The article is focused on a partnership between 91¸ŁŔű’s Mitchell Center and the Maine Climate Council to update the state’s “Maine Won’t Wait” plan, prioritizing voices often excluded from policy discussions. By collaborating with 21 community organizations and Wabanaki partners, the team engaged rural, low-income, and frontline communities through 73 local events and a statewide survey. The findings revealed that effective climate action must simultaneously address the cost of living—specifically affordable housing, transit, and heating—to ensure solutions meet residents’ basic needs. These insights now directly shape Maine’s current and future climate policy.

Citation: Brazier, J. Cressica, Sharon J. Klein, Jasmine Lamb, Caroline L. Noblet, Louise Chaplin, Sonia Leone, Catherine Mardosa, David Hart, Linda Silka, and Natalie Michelle. “Amplifying Rural Voices in Maine Climate Planning.” Maine Policy Review 34.2 (2025) : 159 -170, .

Darren Ranco, professor of anthropology, faculty fellow in the Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions, and chair of Native American Programs, will receive the Presidential Public Engagement Award in recognition of his work that applies academic expertise to enhance the public good.

Since returning to Maine in 2009, Ranco, a Penobscot Nation citizen who grew up in Orono, has worked with Wabanaki Tribal Nations on environmental and cultural issues. His work includes leadership on responses to the emerald ash borer, an invasive species that threatens ash trees used in traditional basket making. His efforts contributed to agreements among tribal nations, the state and federal agencies.

“Darren’s work reflects a deep commitment to partnership and to connecting the university’s expertise with community needs,” Ferrini-Mundy said. “He builds relationships that lead to meaningful, lasting impact.”

He has also supported tribal climate resilience and land return efforts, working with communities to develop priorities, establish baselines and create plans to address environmental change. 

Ranco has contributed to strengthening relationships between the university and tribal communities, including efforts to support collaboration and culturally informed research practices.

His public engagement includes educational initiatives supporting the development of Wabanaki studies curriculum, public talks, working with legislators to support environmentally and culturally sound legislation, and participation in projects that address community needs.

This workshop is supported by Northern Maine Development Commission (NDMC) and Maine Resource Recovery Association’s Food Recovery Council.

As a result of his efforts, Nachamie of North Andover, Massachusetts received the 2025 , identifying his potential as a leader in environmental stewardship. He was and is the first recipient from 91¸ŁŔű in over 15 years.

“I am incredibly grateful to have been awarded the Udall Scholarship,” said Nachamie, who received support for his application from the Office of Major Scholarships and by professor Darren Ranco,  the faculty representative at 91¸ŁŔű for the scholarship. “We’re at a pivotal moment in history where our actions on environmental issues matter more than ever.”

Nachamie, a 91¸ŁŔű Honors College student majoring in ecology and environmental sciences, has been involved in research targeted at improving public health and the environment throughout his college career. 

Excerpted from an article in 91¸ŁŔű News

Event details are still being released. To register or for updated information, please check out the .

Wild oysters have returned to Maine after nearing extinction almost 100 years ago. Professor Heather Leslie, a marine conservation scientist and Mitchell Center faculty fellow, spoke with to explain what might be happening to cause the growth in their presence.

A recent Civil Eats article tells the comeback story of oysters to the Damariscotta River estuary. Leslie and Sarah Risley have had a front row seat. Leslie is a Mitchell Center faculty fellow and University of Maine professor of marine sciences. Risley is a doctoral student in 91¸ŁŔű’s Ecology and Environmental Sciences Program. 

For the last century, it’s been thought that the once abundant Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica) were functionally extinct from Maine’s tidal rivers. An April 2025 published by Leslie, Risley, and two others counters this idea, documenting a reemergence of wild oyster populations in the Damariscotta River estuary. 

The number of oyster farms in the estuary has ballooned in the past few decades — fueled by warming waters which favor the growth of oysters and exuberant foodies who love to toss back the briny bivalves. 

Over time, people started to observe wild Eastern oysters in close proximity to the oyster farms, including Risley. She spent two years conducting surveys of intertidal zones, counting and measuring oysters to understand the baseline population. 

“We are thinking about how the connection between the two populations might play into oyster restoration,” explained Risley in the article. “Where the project is moving now is thinking about how we take this information about emerging populations and put it to use creating sustaining populations.”

reported the audiobook launch event for “Sea Run: A Study Regarding the Impact of Maine Policies on the Quality and Quantity of Traditional Tribal Fish Stocks and Sustenance Practices,” based on the same name of a a report co-authored by Anthony Sutton, University of Maine assistant professor of Native American food systems, citizen of the Passamaquoddy Nation and Mitchell Center faculty fellow. The report, which Sutton co-wrote with Judd Esty-Kendall, highlights the ongoing factors that impact tribal peoples’ fishing practices including access to fisheries. The event occurred on Oct 13, which is Indigenous Peoples’ Day. 

Sutton also co-wrote an op-ed with  in which he highlighted the report. The op-ed discusses the impact the elimination of fish species has had on the Wabinaki Nations and the factors that limit their access to fisheries

The (NSRC) has awarded nearly $500K to PI John Daigle and Co-PI Darren Ranco in support of their project Sustaining basketmaking in Waponahkik through increased accessibility, processing, and storage opportunities. Daigle is a professor of forest recreation management at 91¸ŁŔű and leader of the Ash Protection Collaboration Across Waponahkik (APCAW) Lab. Ranco is a professor of anthropology and director of Native American Programs at 91¸ŁŔű. Both are Mitchell Center faculty fellows. Daigle and Ranco will lead the project, along with collaborators from the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, Passamaquoddy Tribe, Penobscot Nation, Mi’kmaq Nation, Wabanaki Nation, and St. Regis Mohawk Tribe.

With the onset of emerald ash borer (EAB) in forests where Wabanaki basketmakers harvest, the project goal is to advance basketmaker stewardship of remaining healthy ash and develop technologies that support the processing and storage of ash splints before widespread mortality. Ultimately, this will sustain the material supply for Wabanaki basketry. This project takes a community-driven approach that prioritizes participation of Wabanaki ash harvesters.

Every year, Maine throws away around 361,000 tons of food—nearly 40% of production—with about 4,200 tons lost in K-12 schools alone. To tackle this, the Maine Department of Education, Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and 91¸ŁŔű’s Mitchell Center have rolled out a in time for Maine Wasted Food Awareness Week.

The toolkit offers practical strategies for schools—like “share carts” and sorting stations—to track and reduce waste. Pilot schools already implementing these strategies saw up to a 25% drop in overall food waste and up to a 64% reduction in discarded fruits and vegetables.

“As a small team working out of the Mitchell Center, we can only work with so many schools. But the new toolkit will give all Maine schools the opportunity to pursue the kind of work we’ve done with our pilot schools. And with the legislature moving aggressively to achieve the state’s wasted food goals, this toolkit has become even more important,” said William Brenneman, graduate research assistant who led the development of the toolkit.

The toolkit is the latest effort by the Mitchell Center’s Food Rescue MAINE team to reduce wasted food statewide. It comes one year after the Maine DEP released the first ever Maine Food Loss and Waste Generation Study, co-authored by Mitchell Center faculty and other researchers.  

Excerpted from a 91¸ŁŔű News release

Join 91¸ŁŔű’s Office of Research Development for a special presentation on increasing the broader impacts of your research through community partnerships with special guests from 91¸ŁŔű’s Portland Gateway and the Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions. Learn more about their mission, opportunities, support services, and the broad scope of their impactful work; as they share insights and expertise on building and managing partnerships, developing reciprocal goals, ensuring active and engaged partner-voice throughout, broader impacts, and more.

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