Anna Andrzejewski, director of the Nelson Institute Center for Culture, History, and Environment (CHE) and Bradshaw Knight Professor of Environmental Humanities, was recently published on PLATFORM, a digital space that supports the exchange of research. …
The Commons
Environmental Conservation student helps create framework to guide environmental justice work
Lifelong Wisconsin Resident Alli Wenman’s educational path has led her to help promote environmental and climate justice in Madison, Wis. Wenman began the Environmental Conservation MS program at the Nelson Institute in June 2020 and …
Hunting and hidden deaths led to estimated 30 percent reduction in Wisconsin’s wolf population
New research into the implications of Wisconsin’s wolf hunt is helping to shed light on how the hunt has impacted the wolf population. Led by Nelson Institute professor and founder of the Carnivore Coexistence Lab …
Wisconsin Humanities grant awarded to CHE
Exciting news for Edge Effects and the Center for Culture, History, and Environment (CHE). The Wisconsin Humanities Council has awarded CHE a grant to fund a new Edge Effects series (tentatively) entitled, “Land Cast: Stories …
CHE sponsors six multi-disciplinary working groups
CHE is the proud sponsor of six multidisciplinary environmental research working groups for the 2021-2022 academic year. Consistent with its mission, CHE’s research initiative encourages multidisciplinary collaborations in environmental research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison …
Nelson alumna helps to clean the bay
The walleye have returned and the shores of Green Bay, Wis. are cleaner, thanks in part to the work of Nelson Institute alumna, Julia Noordyk. As the water quality and coastal communities specialist for the …
Calhoun featured on North County Radio
Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies affiliate and associate professor of English, Joshua Calhoun was recently featured on North Country Public Radio. In the story entitled, “North Country scholars explore making paper, ink, handwriting in the …
UW-Madison partners with Beloit community to increase diversity within STEM
Increasing diversity in geosciences and fostering hands-on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education within Wisconsin communities is at the heart of a new, National Science Foundation (NSF) GEOPAths-funded project that will bring together educational …
EOI alumna now working for NASA’s DEVELOP program
From completing her master’s in Environmental Observation and Informatics (EOI) to working for the Digital Earth Virtual Environment and Learning Outreach Project (DEVELOP) program at NASA, Paxton LaJoie made her dreams of working with remote …
Nelson alumna is helping to address the human-wildlife conflict
Each year, a few of the world’s 808 whooping cranes are shot and killed. Considered critically endangered, these deaths generally occur in areas of the country where individuals are unfamiliar with the large, white and …
Nelson Institute Dean featured in Scientific American
Nelson Institute Dean, Paul Robbins has joined Revive and Restore co-founder and executive director, Ryan Phelan in penning an editorial for Scientific American that focuses on the concept of Intended Consequences. This concept highlights the …
Nelson Institute announces endowment for Professor Clarence “Clay” Schoenfeld Scholarship Environmental Education Fund
The Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies is honored to announce a new $30,000 endowment from donor George R. Affeldt in support of the Professor Clarence “Clay” Schoenfeld Scholarship Environmental Education Fund. The gift will support …
Conaway connects with Tribal communities on environmental challenges
For Nelson Institute faculty associate, Jessie Conaway helping people to connect with and protect the natural world has been a lifelong goal. As a career outdoor educator, Conaway has spent both her personal and professional …
A Wisconsin Idea win-win
A UW–Madison program called the UniverCity Year is partnering with communities across Wisconsin to find solutions to knotty problems and bolster the quality of life for the state’s citizens.
A view from space can save the trees
According to research led by Fanny Moffette, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics and the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, deforestation dropped by 18 percent in two years in African countries where organizations subscribed to receive forest cover warnings from the Global Land Analysis and Discovery system.
Researchers look for ways to store tens of thousands of genetic samples and use cloning to preserve and revitalize endangered — and possibly extinct — species
The Earth is in the midst of a sixth mass extinction event, and most scientists point to human activity as the primary cause. Each day, the planet loses an average of five to 30 species. While efforts are under way to preserve their habitat, these efforts may not be enough to save them. Extinct species, by definition, no longer exist. But their genetic material can live on in biobanks, offering the possibility of resurrection. Think of it as an extinction loophole.
With pandemic adaptations, Angela Waupochick has launched a bioacoustics study of black ash conservation in northern Wisconsin
A PhD student in forest and wildlife ecology, Waupochick is among a growing number of scientists using a simple technique called bioacoustic monitoring to record forest soundscapes.
UW researchers investigate mining-related deforestation in the Amazon
University of Wisconsin-Madison geography professor and Nelson Institute affiliate, Lisa Naughton led a recent study investigating how formalizing and legalizing gold mining operations might curb their negative environmental effects. The study, published in Environmental Research …
Alumna at the forefront of wildlife-transmitted disease research
From understanding the viral spillover risk of diseases like coronavirus to research on the health of great apes, Nelson Institute alumna Sarah H. Olson is at the forefront of some of today’s most pressing environmental …
Jonathan Patz receives WARF named professorship
He is among eight faculty who received the 2021-22 awards that honor those who have made major contributions to the advancement of knowledge, primarily through their research endeavors, but also as a result of their teaching and service activities.
GLOBE Midwest ESS Collaborative hosts virtual science symposium
On May 13, 2021, the Midwest GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) / ESS (Earth System Science) Collaborative hosted the GLOBE Midwest ESS virtual Science Symposium, with 25 student groups from 11 …
Edwards finds that repairs to natural gas distribution system don’t always work
For the network of pipelines that bring natural gas to homes throughout the United States, leaks are an ongoing challenge. Repairing those leaks can lead to safety and climate benefits by reducing the amount of methane (a potent greenhouse gas) released into the atmosphere.
Nelson affiliate Jim Kossin’s research shows that hurricanes are getting stronger
Nelson Institute Center for Climatic Research (CCR) affiliate Jim Kossin, recently shared his research into the connection between climate change and hurricanes with the New York Times and NBC Miami. Kossin’s research shows that over …
Earth’s vegetation is changing faster today than it has over the last 18,000 years
The research suggests that humanity’s dominant influence on ecosystems that is so visible today has its origin in the earliest civilizations and the rise of agriculture, deforestation and other ways our species has influenced the landscape.
Holly Gibbs receives 2021 GHI Seed Grant
Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and Department of Geography associate professor, Holly Gibbs will receive support for her research from two 2021 University of Wisconsin-Madison Global Health Institute (GHI) Seed Grants. Her research titled, “Health, …