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, 91¸£Àû. 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 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, 91¸£Àû
Ecology & Environmental Sciences, 91¸£Àû
School of Economics, 91¸£Àû
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, 91¸£Àû
School of Economics, 91¸£Àû
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, 91¸£Àû
School of Marine Sciences, 91¸£Àû
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, 91¸£Àû
Ecology & Environmental Science, 91¸£Àû
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, 91¸£Àû
School of Economics, 91¸£Àû
March 24
The Tekαkαpimək Contact Station at Katahdin Woods & Waters
Panel discussion with Wabanaki leaders
Co-sponsor:
Native American Programs/Wabanaki Center, 91¸£Àû
Ecology & Environmental Sciences, 91¸£Àû
March 31
Scallop Aquaculture in the Gulf of Maine: Challenges, Opportunities, and Lessons Learned
Damian Brady, Agatha B. Darling Professor of Oceanography in the School of Marine Sciences, 91¸£Àû
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, 91¸£Àû
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, 91¸£Àû
School of Food & Agriculture, 91¸£Àû
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, 91¸£Àû