Sustainability-Related Research at NMU
There are sustainably focused research initiatives occurring across many of NMU's academic departments. These projects are oftentimes conducted by our talented faculty members, graduate students, and undergraduate students. Explore some of the amazing projects below!
CoPe: Planning for Sustainable Coastal Development on Superior's South Shore
For the month of August the International Lake Superior Board of Control (ILSBC) reported that Lake Superior’s water level is 41cm above the hundred year average. The combination of heavy rain events, high water levels, strong winds and big waves on Lake Superior make the risk of shoreline erosion and coastal damages imminent. Marquette County is important to the south shore of Lake Superior because it is the largest county in Michigan and one of the largest counties east of the Mississippi River, encompassing 1,873 square miles of land area. Marquette County is also one of the most populated areas in the Upper Peninsula and serves as the cultural and economic capital for northern Michigan.
Facing a dynamic and rapidly changing climate requires collaboration and capital – social, political, physical and financial capital. CoPe is a three-part workshop series to move scientists and stakeholders from historical conditions to a vision for the future with actionable recommendations for sustainable coastal development in an era of dynamic climate change. The conference process will offer decision-makers access to coastal research that addresses the interconnected issues of rural economic development, climate science, environmental history, and coastal ecology.
Learn More in Our Digital Magazine Below
Step 1:
Explore the history of development along our shoreline
Workshop 1: Mapping the Coastal Community System - Fall 2019
Step 2:
Understand present climate conditions affecting our shoreline
Workshop 2: Sustainable Coast Future Search - Winter 2020
Step 3:
Facilitate a process to create a shared vision for the future
Workshop 3: Envisioning Scenarios for Sustainable Coastal Development - Spring 2020
Sustainability and Native American Studies
In this video, NMU Professor April Lindala talks about the core conversation of sustainability in Native American Studies. Her current project, funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation, is working with colleagues around the United States and Puerto Rico asking questions about how ancestral knowledge can help us move toward a more sustainable relationship with the manufacturing and disposal of technological devices.
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Island Experience Inspires Writers
English graduate students and faculty members from Northern Michigan University delved into environmental fiction and ecocriticism during a stay on Granite Island, surrounded by the grandeur and moods of Lake Superior. NMU is the only public university in the nation to offer a course held in a lighthouse. The immersive experience included outdoor exploration, group discussions, community building and deep writing time.
Student Sustainability Writing
Students in an EN211 class were charged with the task to write research essays connecting themes of sustainability to their majors or a personal interest. They then collaborated to bring all their writing to one place:
Sustainability and Biology Research
In this video, NMU Biology Professor Kurt Galbreath talks about how his research and his work with NMU's Northern Museum of Zoology connects to sustainability.
Galbreath studies the diversity and historical biogeography of northern animals, with a particular focus on parasites and their mammalian hosts across Asia and North America. His research combines museum-based field collections with laboratory-based molecular studies to study the consequences of past environmental disruptions (e.g., climatic cooling and warming) for population demography, diversification, and community assembly.
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Faculty and student research on Brook Trout in the Aquatics Lab.
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Faculty and students have an abundance of opportunities available to them right in Northern's backyard.
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These students are researching soil at Wetmore Bog just minutes from campus.
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Research project at Moosewood Nature Center on Presque Isle.
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Sustainability field trip to The North Farm, a research center specialized in incubator farming.
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Many students volunteer at Partridge Creek Farm helping grow produce, educate elementary and high school students about local food, and sell produce at market.
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On-campus green house facility where students and staff can conduct research.
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These students traveled to Marquette's neighboring community to conduct research in the field for class.