Faculty Resources - Sustainability Hub for Innovation & Environment

Sustainable Citizen Badge

The Sustainable Citizen Badge is a free, online, self-paced course that provides an overview of key sustainability concepts and examples of what NMU is doing to reduce our impact on the planet.  You can have your students take the course on their own and earn a badge (which can be shared on LinkedIn and included in their resume) or have us come and give a presentation to your class! 

You can check out the course for yourself by emailing Continuing Education at conteduc@nmu.edu and asking to be enrolled in the Sustainable Citizen course.

The Green Fund

The Green Fund is a student-paid fee that funds sustainable student-led initiatives on campus.  The Sustainability Advisory Council accepts and reviews Green Fund proposals each year and selects.  Any student can submit a proposal to improve sustainability at NMU!

You can add the creation and submission of a Green Fund proposal to your syllabus each semester. Let us know if you have any questions and check out the Green Fund webpage to learn more.

Sustainability Summit

As part of the Our Compass: Supporting Our People Action Plan, Tactic 1.4.12 declared the need to host an annual campus-wide Sustainability Summit.  In Fall 2024, planning for this first annual summit began with a group of excited students, faculty, and staff.

Some ideas of ways to involve your students

• Work the Summit into your syllabus so it's a day of class that students can use to attend the Summit.
• We typically have a poster session during the Summit.  Try incorporating a research project into your class where students create sustainability-related posters that they can display.
• Let your students know they can help with planning of the Summit!  Contact us for more information.

For more information about past and upcoming summits, check out our Sustainability Summit webpage.

Anderton's Earth Week

Anderton's Earth Week has been taking place at NMU for over a decade in celebration of the late Dr. John Anderton, a former Department Head of Earth, Environmental, and Geographical Sciences (EEGS) and a beloved professor.

Throughout the week surrounding Earth Day (April 22), we host many events related to sustainability and our role as a part of nature.  Ensuring our students are involved in this week is incredibly important!  Get them involved by:

• Work the entire week into your syllabus so students can attend as many events as possible.
• Let your students plan their own event that can be incorporated into Earth Week!  We always love more events to share and promote!
• Let your students know they can help with planning of the Summit!  Contact us for more information.

For more information, visit our Earth Week webpage.

Have other ideas?  Let us know!

Woodland Park [COMING FALL 2025]

In NMU’s strategic guiding document, Our Compass, three Grand Challenges are presented to support our people, partner with our place, and realize the potential of all of our students. Embracing the Okanagan Charter and its Calls to Action, along with our commitment to honor and nurture the role of Indigenous perspectives and peoples is foundational to the Woodland Park Project. The project establishes a space to learn about sustainable food systems, explore a sensory and healing forest path, and practice care for all species.

Located at the corner of Norwood and Neidhart avenues, adjacent to the University’s Woodland Park Apartments, on just over 20 acres of natural succession forest, Woodland Park will be a hub for students, faculty, staff, and community members.

Learn more about Woodland Park's progress here.

Outdoor Learning Area

Located just outside the doors of The Science Building and Weston Hall, the Outdoor Learning Area is the perfect place to come experience the natural beauty of the Upper Peninsula.  The OLA boasts gorgeous examples of native vegetation and wildlife. 

The OLA is managed by the EEGS Department, but for the use and enjoyment of all NMU students and faculty. This area can be used for ecological and biological studies, artistic inspiration, writing prompts, growing cultural understanding, or simply studying and lounging.

For more information, check out the OLA webpage.

Campus Nursery

Interested in teaching about native plant growing here on campus?  Check out the Native Plant Nursery. The Campus Nursery is a collaboration between NMU Grounds & Facilities & SHINE (Sustainability Hub for Innovation & Environment).

The Nursery is located behind NMU's Police Department, exactly where NMU grew a tree nursery decades ago. Today there is a 150-foot x 75-foot parcel to grow plant native trees, shrubs, and bushes. A native plant intern helps to nurture the plants until they are large enough to be used in campus landscaping projects.

For more information, see the Campus Nursery webpage.

CNAS Fire Site

A student crew from the Northern Michigan University construction management program built a pavilion over the NMU Center for Native American Studies (CNAS) fire site in early 2025.  This space offers a wooded area, fire pit, and seating for your class.

The pavilion is located in the wooded area outside Whitman Hall.

Faculty, staff, student and community groups can request use of the fire site by emailing cnas@nmu.edu or by filling out the Fire Site Use Form.

Waino Wahtera Pavilion

This pavilion provides a large covered area (40 x 60 feet) with picnic tables and even electric outlets for your student's computers.  The pavilion is located between Lee Hall and Cohodas Hall.  It can be accessed via a turnoff on Lee Drive or from the end of the Art & Design Building parking lot.

Faculty, staff, student and community groups can request use of the pavilion by contacting dining services.

Outdoor Recreation Yurt

NMU's School of Health and Human Performance has a year-round outdoor education center in the form of a 30-foot circular yurt.  The yurt is located in a wooded area east of the PEIF and does have wheelchair access.  The yurt remains locked, though you can request access of the space for $50/day.

Faculty, staff, student and community groups can request use of the yurt by contacting Christy Johnson at christyj@nmu.edu.

Anywhere!

We have so many wonderful places on campus where you can share nature and the outdoors with students!

Campus Sustainability Tour

NMU has been working to become a more sustainable campus for decades. Check out our online StoryMap to learn more about the history of NMU's path toward sustainability and see the locations where sustainable practices have been implemented.

You can choose to explore the locations online or bring this guide along with you while you tour campus on your own.

Check out the Tour for yourself!

Woodland Park [COMING FALL 2025]

In NMU’s strategic guiding document, Our Compass, three Grand Challenges are presented to support our people, partner with our place, and realize the potential of all of our students. Embracing the Okanagan Charter and its Calls to Action, along with our commitment to honor and nurture the role of Indigenous perspectives and peoples is foundational to the Woodland Park Project. The project establishes a space to learn about sustainable food systems, explore a sensory and healing forest path, and practice care for all species.

Located at the corner of Norwood and Neidhart avenues, adjacent to the University’s Woodland Park Apartments, on just over 20 acres of natural succession forest, Woodland Park will be a hub for students, faculty, staff, and community members.

Learn more about Woodland Park's progress here.

Outdoor Learning Area

Located just outside the doors of The Science Building and Weston Hall, the Outdoor Learning Area is the perfect place to come experience the natural beauty of the Upper Peninsula.  The OLA boasts gorgeous examples of native vegetation and wildlife. 

The OLA is managed by the EEGS Department, but for the use and enjoyment of all NMU students and faculty. This area can be used for ecological and biological studies, artistic inspiration, writing prompts, growing cultural understanding, or simply studying and lounging.

For more information, check out the OLA webpage.

Campus Nursery

Interested in teaching about native plant growing here on campus?  Check out the Native Plant Nursery. The Campus Nursery is a collaboration between NMU Grounds & Facilities & SHINE (Sustainability Hub for Innovation & Environment).

The Nursery is located behind NMU's Police Department, exactly where NMU grew a tree nursery decades ago. Today there is a 150-foot x 75-foot parcel to grow plant native trees, shrubs, and bushes. A native plant intern helps to nurture the plants until they are large enough to be used in campus landscaping projects.

For more information, see the Campus Nursery webpage.

Lincoln Community Garden

The Lincoln Community Garden (LCG) is located between the Lincoln Townhouses and the Center Street Apartments. There are several garden plots available for students to grow fruits, veggies and flowers. With raspberry and rhubarb around the perimeter, there are a variety of healthy and established plants too. The LCG growers often host a variety of programs about seed-saving, smoothie-making, and even a harvest party at the end of the growing season. Anyone can volunteer or grow a plot in the garden.

Composting

NMU has been integrating compost into our campus systems for many years now!  We have been composting yard scraps for decades, composting food scraps at the NMU Hoop Houses, and even began a post-consumer composting initiative with Partridge Creek Compost in 2024.

For more information, check out our compost information page.

Solar Panels

NMU has a set of bifacial solar panels thanks to a Green Fund proposal submitted by student Kendall Phillips, who wanted to find a way to get NMU involved in renewable energy.  The initial proposal was for a $25,000 demonstration site, but the sustainability advisory committee loved the idea and decided to invest $50,000. Alumni-owned solar company, Peninsula Solar, completed the installation. The panels were originally installed in November 2022 next to the old SHINE building on Presque Isle Avenue. In the first 6 months, we saved $850 on the electric bill for the SHINE building (a 40% reduction). 

In Summer 2025, due to the demolition of the old SHINE building, the solar array was moved to the open lot next to the Woodland Park Apartments.  The plan for this location is create an interactive experiential learning forest and garden just steps from the heart of campus!

In Spring of 2025, NMU was awarded a grant to fund the installation of solar panels on the roof of the WellBeing Center.  This will further help reduce our carbon footprint through the energy that we use to power our buildings.

Learn more about our solar panels with our Campus Sustainability Tour.

LEED Certified Buildings

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings.  NMU began incorporating LEED into design of construction/renovation projects in 2005 and has many examples across campus of LEED being implemented.

Check out NMU's LEED Projects for yourself!

Internship & Job Opportunities

Check out our Internship and Job Opportunities webpage to see new listings for environmental jobs and internships in the Marquette community and beyond!

Find a full list of sustainability-related student organizations here.  Or check out our list of volunteer opportunities within the community and on campus!

EcoReps

EcoReps is a peer-to-peer sustainability education program. It is designed to give students the resources and knowledge to solve environmental, economic, and social sustainability issues. EcoReps organize campus-wide programming, carry out collaborative projects, and host various events on and off-campus such as clothing swaps, zero-waste events, residence hall presentations, and skill-builder workshops.

NMU Hoop House

The Northern Michigan University Hoop House serves as a collaborative learning center for eaters of all ages who are curious about where food comes from and how it it grown. Through research and education on sustainable agriculture, the project aims to expand our local food system, improve food security and increase access to fresh, healthy produce.

Conservation Crew

The NMU Conservation Crew is a student-led organization dedicated to educating students and community members about the environment by hosting group hikes, trash clean-ups, and conservation-related workshops and events. Additionally, the club regularly collaborates with like-minded organizations in Marquette to ensure students are an active part of protecting the local environment.

Fisheries and Wildlife Association

The NMU Fisheries and Wildlife Association is geared towards assisting its members in gaining hands-on and real-world experience in fisheries and wildlife-related professions. We work to educate our members on the opportunities that are available and bring in professionals to help foster networking skills. We also put an emphasis on awareness and education of fisheries and wildlife issues to our members, today's youth, and the Marquette community.

Apiculture Club

NMU Apiculture Club aims to educate the community about pollinators, and provide students the opportunity to gain experience in beekeeping practices to benefit current agriculture operations at the University.

Mycology Club

NMU Mycology Club seeks to connect all students and community members with an interest in anything fungus-related. Including foraging, photographing, identifying, and growing mushrooms.

Organization for Outdoor Recreation Professionals

The Organization for Outdoor Recreation Professionals' (OORP) goal is to provide real experiences in the outdoor recreation industry for members who are looking for professional ways to get involved in the community. Our members are looking for professional ways to build their resumes while simultaneously benefiting community members.

Northern Climate Network

The Northern Climate Network is a campus-wide consortium providing opportunities for faculty, staff, students and community members to discuss and learn about climate change in our region.

Gamma Theta Upsilon

Gamma Theta Upsilon (GTU) is an International Honors Society in Geography. Eta Chi Chapter is associated with the Earth, Environmental and Geographical Sciences department of Northern Michigan University. Invitations for GTU membership are sent out to students who qualify. To qualify one must have completed at least three semesters of college coursework, at least three "GC" courses, and have a "GC" and overall G.P.A. of 3.3 or better.

Citizens' Climate Lobby

Citizens' Climate Lobby's mission is to bring attention to climate change solutions and support the efforts of CCL through carbon pricing advocacy, climate change education, and citizen engagement.

NMU Green Athletics

Green Athletics is a student-driven working group consisting of student-athletes, coaches, and other administrators striving to create and promote sustainable changes within NMU's Athletic Department. Green Athletics serves as a "sustainability spokesperson" for NMU Athletics, and helps contribute to the growing number of sustainability initiatives throughout NMU.

Ducks Unlimited

The student chapter of Ducks Unlimited promotes wildlife and wetland conservation, duck hunting, technique, skills, and etiquette. We are trying to get people involved in wetland conservation, duck hunting, and sharing our passion for the sport. We as a club raise money for the Ducks Unlimited organization, as well as create a great spot for fellow hunters to meet. Membership is open to all NMU students; everyone is welcome, experience doesn't matter.

Rock and Mineral Club

Rock & Mineral Club is a student organization focused around the geology of our Marquette home. We have many outings throughout the year putting us one-on-one with the history and fascinating geologic features right here in our backyard, as well as spend some of the snowier weekends polishing our findings in the rock lab. We also explore surrounding areas such as the Keweenaw Peninsula and Alger County. There are no fees or requirements involved with joining or participating, other than an interest for finding cool rocks!

Animal Club

Our mission is to build a grassroots coalition of people who care about animals and the environment. We advocate for animals on a local level by partnering with the university to improve access to plant-based meals, opposing wildlife killing contests, protesting circuses, hosting documentary screenings and hosting tabling events. We also advocate for animals on a global level by partnering with The Humane League and engaging in their corporate campaigns to improve animal welfare standards around the world. We welcome anyone who cares about animals, their health, or the environment to be a part of our team.

Northern Parulas

The objective of this organization is to network, associate, and have a good ol' time with fellow birders and ornithologists here in Marquette. We plan to gain field experience by exploring the diversity of bird species and other megafauna within the Upper Peninsula.

Entomology Club

Through this student organization we hope to foster and grow a passion for insects within the students of NMU. We hope to connect not just to Biology students, but also anyone who has an interest in or passion for insects. We hope to provide hands-on experience and knowledge to everyone involved, as well as research opportunities, field experience, and fun!

Plant Futures

Plant Futures is dedicated to educating and empowering the next generation of leaders in the pursuit of a sustainable and just plant-centric food system!

We are a community open to students of all majors and backgrounds that are excited about infusing sustainability into our food system and pursuing meaningful pathways of impact and professional development on and beyond campus.  We are focused on providing access to meaningful education, mentorship, and careers to utilize food systems as an agent for positive climate, health, and social outcomes.

Find a full list of sustainability-related student organizations here.  Or check out our list of volunteer opportunities within the community and on campus!