Giving Day is March 19
If you have enjoyed reading about EEGS students and alumni, please consider making a gift to the EEGS Department in any amount for Giving Day on Thursday, March 19, 2026. Donors who give to the EEGS Department Fund through the NMU Foundation support trips to academic conferences, internships, research opportunities, and scholarships. Help us help our students so that they are better prepared for the future.
First Annual EEGS Ski a Success
February 17, 2026
On Friday, February 13, EEGS students and faculty hit the cross-country ski trails at Forestville for the First Annual EEGS Ski event. EEGS partnered with the Noquemanon Trail Network to provide an afternoon of Nordic skiing along beautiful cross-country trails on the Upper Peninsula.
Coach Richard Ziegler started the event with an important life lesson: “First, we will practice falling down. Because guess what? Everyone falls down. The key is to learn how to get back up again.” The wisdom continued to flow as the group enjoyed an afternoon expedition filled with bright sunshine, slick snow, and ear-to-ear smiles.
Attendees included Dr. Robert Legg, Mr. Richard Ziegler, Dean Susy Ziegler, Dr. Ryan Stock, Cali Goldlewski, Interim Department Head Sarah Mittlefehldt, and Jonah Sispera.
Bubolz featured by NMU Athletics for National Girls & Women in Sports Day
February 13, 2026
Maya Bubolz (BS, Environmental Science, GIS Certificate) was featured by NMU Athletics on National Girls & Women in Sports Day on February 4 as part of their celebration of girls and women in sports. Maya has been a member of the Women's Ski Team since 2022.
Maya recognized the importance of sports, particularly skiing, in her life when she was in elementary school. She credits her sisters as the driving force behind her interest.
As a member of the ski team, Maya strives to "be a role model for younger athletes by working hard and showing a positive attitude even when things don't go as planned." She also credits the "passion, intensity, and dedication that the women of my team have" for the sport.
Be sure to read the full feature story about Maya at NMU Athletics.
Burch hired as environmental quality analyst at EGLE
February 13, 2026
Since graduating from Northern, Aspyn Burch (BS, Environmental Science, 2024) has been working at the Water Resources Division of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). Aspyn was raised in the Upper Peninsula, and as she wanted to stay close to home after graduating, she knew that obtaining a state government job was one of the best ways to accomplish that. We caught up with Aspyn recently.
As an environmental quality analyst for the Water Resources Division, Aspyn administers several statutes from the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (NREPA), including those relating to the resource protection of lakes, streams, wetlands, critical dunes, and shoreland management. She also reviews permit application reviews, conducts field investigations, writes reports, and serves as an educational resource for the public. Aspyn shared with us that “the field investigations are by far my favorite part. Aerial review is helpful, but you’ll never truly know what you’ll see [until] you get out there. A few that stick out in mind were seeing a beautiful poor fen ecosystem with rare flowering pitcher plant or exploring a privately owned island on the eastern side of the U.P.”
Aspyn mentioned that she has “learned a lot about interacting with the public and how to try and gain voluntary compliance with resource protection laws. Michigan has robust water protection laws that have been in place for decades, yet education is the most important part of enforcing and gaining compliance with these laws. I frequently receive phone calls or have conversations with property owners who are unaware that wetlands are protected, or what a wetland even is. Opportunities to educate the public on the regulations and protections for the State’s water resources are crucial in assisting the public to make informed decisions with their property that are in compliance with the law and reduce impacts to Michigan’s water resources.”
When Aspyn attended Northern, she interned with the National Foundation TECH SCEnE at Michigan Technological University and at the USDA Forest Service’s Hiawatha National Forest office in Gladstone, Michigan. These experiences were foundational in terms of helping Aspyn develop the communication skills and gain insights into the approaches she uses on a daily basis while at EGLE. In recalling her experiences at Northern, Aspyn noted that GC 320 – Environmental Policy and Regulation helped her understand the history behind the laws and legal processes that have shaped the statues she now administers.
We wish Aspyn the best as she continues her work at EGLE.
Hulstrom engages in agricultural research as part of URFP experience
January 17, 2026
Alex Hulstrom (BS, Environmental Science, GIS Certificate) is currently a fellow in the Undergraduate Research Fellowship program under the mentorship of Dr. Matthew Van Grinsven. His project "Assessing soil water conservation and climate resilience implications among reduced tillage practices" is part of a broader project comparing common tillage and reduced tillage practices used by organic farmers, including the use of soil-tarping, to terminate cover crops to prepare soils for vegetable production. This research will provide organic farmers with guidance for managing cover crops and reducing their tillage practices. Dr. James DeDecker at the Michigan State University Upper Peninsula Research and Extension Center is a key collaborator on the project.
Alex shared that "From crop production to scientific methods in field research, I learned a great deal. This experience gave great insight into what a graduate program may look like and what's needed to get to that point. Plus, it has allowed me to narrow down my academic and career interests post-graduation. Most importantly, though, it has emphasized the curriculum NMU has offered me through real-world experiences that cannot be replicated in the classroom."
Read more about Alex's URFP experience here.
EEGS alumni leading effort to reduce e-cigarette waste
January 17, 2026
The Director of Citizens for a Safe & Clean Lake Superior, Jane Fitkin (BS, Environmental Studies and Sustainability, 2022), and CSCLS Wetlands Coordinator Alex Berrones (BS, Environmental Science, GIS Certificate, 2025) were recently featured in an article in The Mining Journal for their efforts to reduce e-cigarette waste.
For the past year, CSCLS collected thousands of disposable nicotine vapes from a single convenience store in downtown Marquette or proper recycling and disposal of their batteries. Now, the operation has expanded to Circle K convenience stores in Ishpeming, Negaunee, Marquette, and Harvey. Fitkin notes that the vapes are "super hazardous” and "contain a lithium battery which leaches heavy metals when littered and can cause landfill fires when thrown in the trash. Along with the leftover liquid nicotine concentrate, a hazardous substance, e-cigarettes pose significant environmental impacts when improperly disposed of.” Proper recycling of the vapes and disposal of the batteries will reduce soil, groundwater, and surface water contamination.
In the near future, Fitkin hopes to expand the collection project to collect cannabis vapes through cooperation with The Fire Station Cannabis Company.
Be sure to read the full article in The Mining Journal.
EEGS, Biology, and Outdoor Rec students contribute to academic service learning project with UPLC
January 17, 2026
This past fall, EEGS, Biology, and Outdoor Recreation students in Dr. Adam Naito's GC 401 - Biogeography course continued contributing to a multi-year academic service learning project involving the Upper Peninsula Land Conservancy's Dead River Community Forest. Through an integration of drone-based lidar and field measurements, this project aims to characterize forest composition and estimate the aboveground biomass of the Bridges Parcel of the Community Forest. The data the students have collected have been assisting UPLC in making informed land management decisions by better understanding the terrain and forest health.
A short video of the forest represented as a lidar point cloud can be found here.
