Nelson Institute undergraduate student Zebulon Grove sees a hopeful future for sustainability in business practices.
The Commons
Director’s Cut
I am writing to introduce myself as the new director of CHE. It is a very great privilege to take over responsibility for an organization that plays such a vibrant role in the life of …
Introducing: The Jim Miller Graduate Scholarship
“Water is fundamental to all life,” states the leading sentence on the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies’ water resources management (WRM) program website. It’s a short and simple sentence, but one whose importance cannot be …
Notaro Teaches AOS 100 Class
It was a summer of firsts for Nelson Institute Center for Climate Research Director and scientist Michael Notaro and the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Summer Collegiate Experience (SCE) program.
Fortifying Farmland
Anyone who’s driven through rural Wisconsin — or had their eye pressure checked — is familiar with the idyllic picture of the Midwest: a two-lane road between rolling pastures leading to a little red farmhouse.
EC and EOI Cohorts Finish 15-Month Programs
As summer comes to a close, so does the 2021–22 Environmental Conservation (EC) and Environmental Observation and Informatics (EOI) cohorts.
Heat Wave Warriors
Two Nelson PhD candidates are working to keep Wisconsin communities safe from heat waves.
UW–Madison Researchers Awarded $2.3 Million to Develop a Carbon-Negative Cement Replacement
The goal is a durable and versatile building material that permanently stores carbon dioxide through a process that pulls more carbon out of the air than is emitted.
UW-Madison Geography Students Share Appleton International Airport’s Sustainability Story
Geography 309 partnered with UniverCity Alliance to connect students with communities.
Assigned Reading: Ankur Desai
What does a weather and climate expert read for fun? Professor Ankur Desai shares his recommendations.
Great Lakes Coastal Communities and Ecology at Risk from Warming Climate
Climate change is stressing all ecosystems. Protecting coastal habitats and habitat restorations can build climate resiliency into our ecosystems.
EC Student Aspires to a Role in Conservation Planning Despite Facing Adversity
Nelson Institute environmental conservation (EC) master’s student Carrie Lovelace has persevered through some of life’s toughest challenges while completing her degree.
The “Jalisconsin Idea”
In June, UW alumnus and visiting Nelson Institute professor Eduardo Santana Castellón was presented with the Environmental Merit Award from the Jalisco (Mexico) State Congress.
Nuclear Fallout: From the Sky to the Sea
Blocked out sunlight, crop failure, and … sinking oceans? Elizabeth Maroon, faculty member in the Nelson Institute’s Center for Climatic Research, discusses the threat that nuclear war poses to the planet’s oceans.
Flooding and Bluff Erosion from Extreme Storms are Impacting Wisconsin’s Great Lakes Coastlines
Coastal communities and businesses will need to adapt to more volatile lake level fluctuations, with frequent fluctuations between extreme high and low lake levels, as the climate continues to warm.
Nelson Institute Key Player in College of the Menominee Nation Student Transfer Partnership
Students of the College of Menominee Nation have a direct transfer path the UW–Madison, thanks in part to the Nelson Institute.
NSF Grant Supports Internships at the Welty Environment Center
Through the efforts of Nelson Institute Center for Climatic Research Interim Director Michael Notaro and Wisconsin Educational Leadership for Community Outreach and Mentoring for the Environment (WELCOME), with funding provided by a National Science Foundation (NSF) GEOPAths grant, three Beloit Memorial High School students participated in a one-of-a-kind internship program at the Welty Environment Center (WEC).
From California to Wisconsin to Costa Rica, Environmental Studies Certificate Student Pushes the Boundaries of Her Comfort Zone
For undergraduate student Claire Naughton, getting outside of her comfort zone is an experience she strives for. Originally from San Francisco, Calif., Naughton chose to attend the University of Wisconsin–Madison as an environmental science major with certificates in environmental studies, energy, and global health.
EOI Student Works to Preserve Wildlife at Home in Kenya
Graduate student Grace Cheptoo moved across the world to begin the Environmental Observation Informatics program at the Nelson Institute in May of 2021.
Warming temperatures, changing precipitation patterns affecting Wisconsin’s water resources
The WICCI Water Resources Working Group suggests solutions to prepare for and minimize climate impacts to water resources, like increasing water storage across the landscape, installing green infrastructure, protecting wetlands, building outside of flood zones, and installing flood warning systems.
Warmer winters and extreme rain are stressing Wisconsin’s forest resources
Wisconsin forests cover nearly half of Wisconsin and provide a unique opportunity to address climate change by reducing concentrations of greenhouse gases while simultaneously providing essential social, environmental, and economic benefits.
CHE Place-Based Workshop Covers the History and Culture of Nearby Land
Faculty and graduate students with the Nelson Institute’s Center for Culture, History, and Environment (CHE) participated in the annual Place-Based Workshop (PBW) where they spent two days immersing themselves in the history and culture of the region north and west of Madison.
Nelson Institute Affiliate is Blue Planet Prize Recipient
Stephen Carpenter, a Nelson Institute affiliate, and a professor emeritus of integrative biology at the Center for Limnology, has been awarded the 2022 Blue Planet Prize by the Asahi Glass Foundation.
Patz and Vavrus Contribute Expertise in WPR Interview on Record-Setting Heat
Even prior to the official start of summer on June 21, Wisconsin has experienced several heat advisory days.
Environmental Conservation MS Student Hopes to Create Change Through a Career in Policy
Starting her career by writing about environmental issues, Mary Kate McCoy found herself wanting to do more to support conservation efforts.