Digital Commons Network^™

Small Towns Can Do Evs Too!, Tyler Knaak, Connor Wanetka, Makenna Eisenzimmer, Krista Price, Fame Punpoka

Environmental Engagement in the Community (ENVR 319): Student Projects

Environmental Engagement in the Community projects, fall 2023

A poster titled Small Towns Can Do EVs Too! for client City of Wayne, Nebraska.

Paving The Way For Recycled Roadways: Are Plastic Roads The Solution To Our Global Plastic Waster Crisis?, Reese Van Osdel, Katheryn Austin, Libbie Pepple, Soledad Stevanov

Environmental Engagement in the Community (ENVR 319): Student Projects

Environmental Engagement in the Community projects, spring 2024

A poster titled Paving the Way for Recycled Roadways: Are Plastic Roads the Solution to Our Global Plastic Waster Crisis? for client South Sioux City, nebraska.

What Are Rural Minnesota Elementary Teachers’ Views Regarding Their Preparedness To Teach Environmental Education, Benjamin Odegaard

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations

Odegaard, B. (2024). What are rural Minnesota elementary teachers’ views regarding their preparedness to teach environmental education. Research has been done on how environmental education (EE) is a positive for students, but not a lot of research has been done on how well the teachers understand EE. Specifically there has been little to no research on rural Minnesota elementary teachers. This thesis takes a look at how well prepared these teachers think they are when it comes to teaching EE in their classrooms. A survey was made using a mixed methods approach. Most of the questions in the survey consisted …

The Struggle For Empire In The Old Northwest Territory: The Fur Trade And Alliances On The Middle Ground, Richard W. Rowe Jr.

GLI MA in American History Student Works

The Old Northwest Territory is a uniquely underserved area of American history. It stood at the intersection of several empires, each of whom often viewed it as something desirable only when hoping to keep it from falling into the hands of their rivals. Indigenous and creole people lived and died in those spaces, using the fur trade as a means for survival while they navigated between Imperial overlords. This work endeavors to build on existing academic scholarship, fill some gaps therein regarding where this topic fits into the bigger picture, and hopefully inspire others’ interest in doing further research. This …

Introduction To The Special Centennial Issue, Woodward S. Bousquet, Christopher Osgood

Virginia Journal of Science

This special issue of the Virginia Journal of Science (VJS) is dedicated to the 2023 Centennial of the Virginia Academy of Science (VAS). It includes congratulations from Commonwealth leaders, a proclamation by the Virginia General Assembly Senate, Academy members’ personal reflections, several historical papers and summaries, and portions of the program for the May 25-26, 2023 Annual Meeting in Williamsburg on the William & Mary campus.

Reflections About The Academy And Its Centennial, Marco Aldi, Woodward S. Bousquet

Virginia Journal of Science

Brief reflective essays from members of the Virginia Academy of Science were solicited as part of the Academy's centennial commemoration in 2023. The essays received demonstrate the many and varied ways in which the Academy has fostered collegiality, encouraged research, supported science education, and shaped the course of science in Virginia during the organization's 100-year history.

Presidents Of The Virginia Academy Of Science, Woodward S. Bousquet

Virginia Journal of Science

A list of presidents of the Virginia Academy of Science from 1923-2024 is presented.

The Once Shrew Zoo, Willow Cain

The Chanterelle

No abstract provided.

Questions For An Environmentalist: How An Enst Student Answers Questions On Sustainability, Zachary Meyer

The Chanterelle

No abstract provided.

Environmentalists Aren't Mad At You, Maggie Demorest

The Chanterelle

No abstract provided.

A Loving Compilation Of Ecopoems: An Anthology Of My Favorites From The Ecopoetry And Climate Crisis Course Syllabus And Beyond, Emily Kerimian , '25, Peter Schmidt

English Literature Faculty Works

This anthology draws from a series of poems that I read as a college junior in a humanities-focused environmental studies class at Swarthmore College, as well as ecopoems that I have read in my own free time. It is meant to honor each of these poems that touched me in a unique way, which I will discuss in my commentary. For some, I was drawn to the poem’s overall message, or strong sensory language, or the identity of the poet that seeped through. I love poetry as a medium of expression, even though I sometimes struggle to find my poetic …

Poets Rooted In Nature: An Ecopoetry Anthology, Ian Chen , '24, Winston Zhang , '27, Riya Rao , '26, Peter Schmidt

English Literature Faculty Works

Anyone who has studied poetry has experienced its elusiveness as well as the profound impact that it brings upon its readers. Although poetry comes in many shapes and forms, the universal theme among impactful poetry is its ability to both evoke powerful emotions and inspire readers to action. In the somewhat bleak time of the present, individuals can easily feel insignificant among the masses; however, poetry can inspire wonder and break readers away from the screens and fickle distractions ever present in the modern world. In this anthology, we focus on the multifaceted genre of ecopoetry, a genre of poetry …

Wonder & Warning: The Salve That's Needed To Heal Our Planet, Benton Greenberg , '26, Elle Anthony , '26, Peter Schmidt

English Literature Faculty Works

Icebergs melting; plastic in the oceans; greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere; deforestation; industrial agriculture; pollution; overfishing. Humans have inhabited Earth for a mere fraction of its existence, comprising less than 1% of its total timeline, yet we are rapidly destroying it. The health of our planet is at a tipping point. Poets have been writing about the disharmony between the environment and humans for hundreds of years. Writers like Nathaniel Hawthorne plead us to change our ways through their haunting and ghastly works, while Jane Hirshfield and others speak through animals to hold us accountable for our faults. However, not …

Echoes Of Nature: Exploring The Intricacies Of Existence And The Environment, Lena Massengale , '25, Peter Schmidt

English Literature Faculty Works

In this anthology, the works from highly skilled authors allow the reader to peek into the existential through a celebration of the natural world. Featuring the unique writing styles of Charles Simic, WS Merwin, and bell hooks, the reader is transported into a world of ecopoetry that aims to touch on more than earthly space. Transcending the rigid bounds of environmental scholarship, these authors incorporate their personal experiences in their interpretation of environmentalism. From the spiritual and ancestral ties to masked social critique, my anthology “Echoes of Nature: Exploring the Intricacies of Existence and the Environment” invites readers to explore …

Before We Say Farewell: An Anthology Of Ecopoetry, Suhyun Kim , '24, Peter Schmidt

English Literature Faculty Works

When faced with the climate crisis, we humans have responded with varying levels of distress. Most of us swing between despair, when we fall into grief at our own stupidity and possible doom, and hope, that a solution is right around the corner. There is a middle ground of apathy, for those who’ve lost all hope and/or become paralyzed by the sheer magnitude of the climate crisis. Regardless of where we are, life under the climate crisis is not easy, and we all need to be reminded that it’s worth going on from time to time. Ironically, many of us …

Understanding The Anthropocene, Monica Kramer , '25, Peter Schmidt

English Literature Faculty Works

The current climate crisis can be a daunting, anxiety-provoking topic. Terms such as “climate anxiety” are brought up because thinking about the prospect of future warming can cause extreme dread. Our current trajectory has even pushed people to forgo having children. Yet although this dread is very warranted and cannot be minimized, simply fearing for the future does not present any solutions to improving it. Ecopoetry can give us a window into helping deal with our grief, and can also suggest solutions for moving forward. This anthology presents poems that do both, helping us to better understand our current era …

The Whispers Of Magnolias, Nican Tlaca, And The World Around Us: An Anthology, Gabriela Rodriguez , '27, Qing Hao , '25, Peter Schmidt

English Literature Faculty Works

Why read poetry after all, for all the frustration it can stir and the immense degree of patience it often demands (particularly challenging in our age of distractions)? Jane Hirshfield’s quotes offer a lucid insight: good poetry often changes how we perceive our surroundings and our states of existence. It lets us experience life in a transformed way – different before and after reading the poem – and inspires us to view our world with a sharper, more curious eye.
Here, we have compiled an anthology of ecopoetry that features a diverse selection of poems, ranging in time, culture, and …

Death, Love, And Feathers: Poems Teaching Us To Fly, Isa Specchierla , '26, Sophia Cáceres , '26, Peter Schmidt

English Literature Faculty Works

Death, Love, and Feathers: Poems Teaching Us to Fly is an anthology that provides readers who are just starting to become interested in ecopoetry and want a place to begin their wonderful journey. We have incorporated some well-known ecopoets such as Mary Oliver, Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, and Maya Angelou, which have personally inspired our own interest and sparked our love for ecopoetry. We have also included a few other lesser-known contemporary eco-poets, whose work touches on how our environment has been transformed through climate change.
We also present poems by Wanda Coleman, Eleanor Wilner, and Joy Harjo.
Through this …

Hydrophobic Deep Eutectic Solvents: Liquid-Liquid Extraction Of Organic Water Pollutants, Abigail Louise Maletta

Masters Theses

Pollution is a topic of significant research within the scientific community. The massive demand for industrial processes to deliver the technology and resources we rely on has opened numerous avenues for pollutants to enter the environment, affecting air, water, soil, and the food chain. Oftentimes, these pathways are intertwined, and the interplay between water and air currents spreads pollution globally, creating a cascade of environmental impacts. Water, a vital resource for all forms of life, is particularly susceptible to industrial pollution. Among the most prevalent water pollutants are heavy metals, such as lead and mercury, and organic compounds, often released …

Journal Cover

Virginia Journal of Science

Journal cover created for the Special Centennial Issue of Virginia Journal of Science, the Official Journal of the Virginia Academy of Science.

Flushed With Challenges: A Case Study Into Sanitation Service Delivery In A Cape Town Informal Settlement, Emmy Li , '25

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

In South Africa, basic sanitation is considered a human right. Moreover, effective sanitation service delivery is fundamental in the ongoing transition to build sustainable cities and communities. An area of particular interest for city planners and government officials are informal settlements, which are often characterized by high vulnerabilities, large population densities, limited resources, and minimal state engagement. Due to their location and informal nature, these areas often lack sewage and drainage systems needed for effective sanitation. Unfortunately, communities that are most impacted by poor sanitation quality and service delivery are rarely consulted during the decision-making process for urban upgrades. This …

Gender Inequality In The Practice Of International Marine Science : Case Study On The International Council For The Exploration Of The Sea, Ellen Johannesen

World Maritime University Dissertations

The UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development aims at transformative change to connect people and the ocean. Innovation necessary for transformational change requires diverse perspectives, therefore women’s perspectives and equal participation are crucial for Ocean science. However, there is widespread evidence of underrepresentation of women especially in governance and decision-making roles. This dissertation aims to critically analyse how gender inequality persists within marine science for the sustainable use of the ocean and to contribute to developing the essential awareness of and strategies for addressing this issue. Using an intergovernmental marine science organisation as a case study, a feminist …

Exploration Of The Mental Health Impacts Of Drought On Rural Nebraskans Via Remembered Perceptions, Grace Schleining

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Drought is a sociological phenomenon. It is a well-known occurrence across the midwestern United States; the drying out of the soil, the failing of crops, and the constant dryness and heat... this is all drought. Inspired by my earliest memory of this climate phenomenon, my research question: Can we identify negative effects of drought on rural Nebraskan mental health and/or wellbeing? In this study, rural Nebraska community members, who are involved with the agricultural sector, were interviewed. They were asked questions regarding their perceptions and stories of drought using purposive sampling and snowball sampling methods. Themes throughout indicate negative mental …

Analysis Of State Climate Action Plans: What Influences States To Adopt, Ethan Yaroch

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Federal-level policies aimed to address and mitigate the effects that will arise from climate change have become an extremely polarizing issue in the United States. Given this policy stalemate, individual states have stepped up to address the national-level shortcomings by publishing state-level Climate Action Plans (CAPs). CAPs mainly consist of emissions mitigation goals and other non-binding policy initiatives that provide a basis for future compulsory legislation. This paper examines whether party identification in the state legislature, public opinion, susceptibility to the risks associated with climate change, and proximity to neighboring states with published CAPs influence states to adopt CAPs. Employing …

Empowering Environmental Education In Portuguese Primary Schools: Energy Focused Curriculum Recommendations And Behavioral Change Framework Guided By Principles Of Developmental Psychology, Ellie Hanson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper explores the integration of principles of developmental psychology within the context of environmental education in Portugal to promote pro-environmental behavior, and specifically energy literacy energy conservation behaviors in primary school students. A review of current literature on the state of environmental education approaches in Portugal exhibits a significant lack of structure and direction for educators to teach students relevant topics in sustainability. Using a meta-theory of behavioral change, the present work connects the elements of the COM-B model of behavioral change to relevant aspects of middle childhood cognitive development using principles of two major theories of developmental psychology. …

Lisbon’S Electric Vehicle (Ev) Fleet: A Cost-Benefit Analysis Of A Mass Adoption Of Evs In Lisbon By 2050, Maya Estrera

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As the impacts of climate change increase, the EU and its member countries are attempting to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The adoption of electric vehicles is proving to be a promising solution to achieve this goal, and specifically, reductions in the transport sector emissions. This study analyzes the potential costs and benefits resulting from a mass adoption of electric vehicles in Lisbon by 2050. Through a cost-benefit analysis, this study aims to quantify the major costs and benefits associated with electric vehicles. The results display the potential monetary benefits of a city-wide shift to electric vehicles in addition to …

Sovereign Seeds: Analyzing The Sustainability Of Peasant Seeds In The Context Of Climate Change And Rural Exodus In Tunisia, Alice Carlson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

How sustainable are peasant seeds? I answer this question on the basis of three elements: environment, economy, and social justice. Using interviews with farmers from various regions of Tunisia, an interview with an expert on climate change and migration, and an interview with a civil society organization working to promote sustainable agriculture, I found that peasant seeds are a sustainable solution for a suffering agricultural sector. Depleted water sources and drought are bringing to light the problems with water-intensive hybrid seeds, and farmers are losing money. As young men increasingly leave the agricultural sector, women are left behind, finding themselves …

Addressing Water Scarcity In Rural Areas Of The Souss-Massa Region Of Morocco: Comparative Analysis Of Desalination, Fog Harvesting, And Wastewater Treatment Methods With Considerations Of Technical Viability And Human Rights, Lina Migliore

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Water scarcity is one of the most pressing humanitarian challenges worldwide, most notably in arid and semi-arid regions like Morocco. This study conducts a comprehensive comparative analysis of three sustainable water management strategies currently being developed in the Souss Massa region of southern Morocco: fog harvesting, desalination, and wastewater treatment. Drawing upon empirical data, interviews, and existing scientific literature, the research explores the economic, environmental, and social dimensions of each approach. Fog harvesting is a locally driven solution that takes advantage of natural phenomena to collect water, albeit with limitations in reliability. Desalination is promising in addressing long-term water scarcity …

Impacts Of Gas Flaring On Soil Quality In The Ecuadorian Amazon: Measuring Gas Flare Effects On Soils At Comparative Distances In Loma Del Tigre, Orellana, Francesca Lopresti

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Gas flaring, the process of burning off the natural gas excreted during petroleum extraction, has recently been the source of public outcry, citing degraded public and environmental health caused by constant flaring near populated centers. While extensive research has been done on the environmental and health impacts of gas flaring, regionally specific research to the Ecuadorian Amazon is lacking. It is crucial that updated research in this region is produced to inform regulations that have the potential to minimize the physical, environmental, and economic impact of the petroleum industry on nearby, under-resourced, and marginalized communities. While air quality surrounding gas …

Género Y Resiliencia En La Amazonía Peruana: Las Experiencias Y Respuestas De Agricultoras Indígenas Ante El Cambio Climático, Zoe Klausner

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El cambio climático antropogénico está redefiniendo rápidamente las relaciones humano-ambientales, especialmente en la Amazonía peruana, donde más de 66 comunidades indígenas enfrentan mayores sequías y temperaturas, afectando profundamente sus medios de vida. Crucialmente, desde la visión ecofeminista central a esta investigación se subraya que las mujeres indígenas experimentan los impactos del cambio climático más severamente y son a menudo los líderes en el fomento de la resiliencia ambiental. Esta investigación explora cómo las agricultoras indígenas de la Amazonía peruana viven el cambio climático y sus estrategias de adaptación y resiliencia. El trabajo de campo se realizó en la comunidad Ese'Eja …