From boreal evergreens in the north to tropical jungles in the south, the forests of our world provide humanity with the potential to be an important solution to climate change.
The Commons
Map Maker
Yanhua Xie, a researcher at the Nelson Institute’s Center for Sustainability and Global Environment, has been working to build agriculture irrigation maps at a level that has never been done before.
Tracey Holloway among Inaugural Advisory Board for Outrider
The Nelson Institute’s Tracey Holloway was recently named to the inaugural advisory board of the Outrider Foundation, a Madison-based nonprofit that that addresses issues of nuclear security and climate change through multimedia storytelling.
Q & A: Meet Shawn Steffan
It’s the circle of life – which is something Department of Entomology faculty member and U.S. Department of Agriculture–Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) research entomologist Shawn Steffan knows all too well.
A Legacy Recorded
“Is Lake Mendoza frozen yet?” Believe it or not, that’s a common wintertime question from alumni seeking reports from their alma mater (particularly alumni who have migrated to warmer climates).
Nelson Alumna Among Most Influential Black Leaders
Nelson Institute alumni award winner Linda Vakunta has earned another impressive accolade: she was recently named one of Wisconsin’s most influential Black leaders by the Madison-based news outlet Madison365.
Two Nelson-Affiliated Papers among Most Mentioned Studies of 2022
Each year, the UK-based, climate-focused Carbon Brief website releases a list of the top 25 most mentioned scientific papers.
Nelson Embraces the Work Ahead
Since an initial Campus Climate Survey in the fall of 2016 and a follow-up in 2021, the Nelson Institute has prioritized addressing the experience for its faculty, staff, and students.
Partnership in the Air
Imagine you’re on a beach, and you pick up one single grain of sand.
Remembering Lewis Hanson
Lewis “Lew” Hanson, UW–Madison alumnus and devoted supporter of the Nelson Institute, passed away on November 23, 2022, at the age of 90.
Introducing the Stephen Born Scholarship
When it comes to Wisconsin conservation and water management, few names are more synonymous than Stephen Born.
Q & A: Meet Hannah Zanowski
If you have ever asked yourself the question “What’s really going on in the ocean,” Assistant Professor Hannah Zanowski has the answers for you.
CEE Fall Symposium
When Sarah Ensor was invited to open the Center for Ecology and the Environment (CEE)’s 2022 Fall Symposium, she accepted with a disclaimer: “What I would have to say as a literary scholar, environmental humanist, and queer theorist, would undoubtedly sound like it was coming out of left field,” joked Ensor, a Nelson affiliate and assistant professor of English, in her opening remarks.
Director’s Cut
I’m grateful for the opportunity to reintroduce myself as the director of the Center for Ecology and the Environment (CEE), the newest research center in the Nelson Institute.
Creating A Buzz for Mosquito Hill Nature Center
On a brisk October afternoon, a group of University of Wisconsin–Madison students set out on three miles of trails winding through Mosquito Hill Nature Center to fully experience the outdoor community resource in Outagamie County.
UW Establishes Rural Partnership Institute
The Nelson Institute’s Center for Climatic Research (CCR) will be partnering on a new initiative to support Wisconsin’s rural communities.
Adapting to Evolving Climate Challenges in Wisconsin
WICCI’s Community Sustainability Working Group addresses challenges and shares recommendations.
Operation Wisconsin Idea
On Wednesday, Dec. 14, Bascom Hall hosted an intriguing trio: leaders from UW–Madison leadership, the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, and the United States Department of Defense (DOD).
2022 Year in Review
Take a look back at some of our favorite moments of 2022.
In Their Words: UW Undergrads on Environmental Issues
The first weeks of each UW–Madison fall semester are alive with activities, fairs, and events.
When the River Runs Dry in Lusitu, Zambia
Their parents were forcibly displaced by a colonial dam project in 1958. Now, the residents of Lusitu, Zambia, rely on traditional knowledge to grow food in the face of climate change.
The Resilience of Mallards, and Us
Allyson Mills, an environmental studies certificate student, was one of three winners of the Office of Sustainability’s inaugural Sustainability Writing Awards.
Farm-to-Table, UW-to-Community
Students in Nelson Institute PhD candidate Jules Reynolds’ capstone course have had the unique opportunity to make a difference in their local community.
The Next Chapter
Ford Freyberg is starting a new chapter of his life. Recently married, he began a new job in October and will be moving out west early next year to live in the mountains that he and his wife love being around.
Championing Campus Sustainability
In his four short years at the university, Bennett Artman has taken on a full plate of activities and responsibilities to give back to the environment.