As the University of Vermont takes its winter break, 12/24/25-1/1/25, we’re also taking a break from social media. We will see you in 2026!

A new study from @uvmvermont.bsky.social finds wildfire smoke in summer 2023 didn’t just make the air hazy in Vt. — it worsened asthma in local kids. This is the 1st paper to document these impacts in the Northeast, where wildfire smoke is becoming more common as the climate warms. go.uvm.edu/sfrex

Wild bees keep many crops and other plants growing, but face great conservation challenges. What can aid their survival? Research on nearly 700 crop fields on 3 continents found pesticide reduction AND habitat restoration are BOTH crucial. Read it in @natureportfolio.nature.com: go.uvm.edu/fowia

The Gund Institute is seeking outstanding Ph.D. applicants interested in conducting #interdisciplinary research on major global #environmental challenges. Students receive attractive funding packages, world-class faculty mentors and real-world experience. Apply by Jan. 6: go.uvm.edu/bchwn

Attention energy and climate change scholars! Has your research engaged academic and non-academic colleagues? Incorporated science, policy and renewable energy? Open @uvmvermont.bsky.social: Endowed Professorship focused on interdisciplinary research on renewable energy systems: go.uvm.edu/i5thz

🐝 Cool Vermont nature news! 🐝 Scientists have identified nine bee species that have never been recorded in Vermont before. That brings the state’s total to 352 wild bee species — more than anywhere else in northern New England. More: www.uvm.edu/gund/news/ni...

As climate change and other environmental crises mount, what approaches to sustainability can provide effective solutions? FRIDAY: Dror Etzion of the Grossman School of Business will discuss the management idea of robust action as an approach to sustainability. 🍕12-1, Farrell Hall go.uvm.edu/zupqf

An EU mandate requires companies to report their impact on biodiversity-but how? In a new publication, @taylorhricketts.bsky.social & coauthors urge companies to partner with scientists, who know how to use EO and AI to collect and analyze the data companies need. Read more: go.uvm.edu/0xq7k

Some climate change effects are obvious, like mountaintop glaciers turned to boulder fields. But what about human impacts? FRIDAY: @dartmouthgeography.bsky.social's @jsmankin.bsky.social discusses research seeking equitable ways to prepare for a warming world. 🍕12-1, Farrell Hall go.uvm.edu/zupqf

How can people with western science, Indigenous, and experiential perspectives co-create knowledge to inform agroecological work? FRIDAY: Ernesto Méndez of @agroecology-uvm.bsky.social discusses what helps, and hinders, agroecological knowledge co-creation. 🍕12-1, Farrell Hall go.uvm.edu/zupqf

Feeding an ever-increasing human population on a planet with finite resources will require innovative ways to grow and create food. Grad Fellow Alexis Yamashita and Affiliate Rachel Floreani share the approaches they're creating in this episode of @scifri.bsky.social: go.uvm.edu/jlcmy

Many "green" climate change solutions require constant extraction of material from the Global South. How can countries create their own sovereign pathways in the face of such demands? Grad Fellow Matías Vaccarezza Sevilla envisions a future for Chile beyond resource extraction: go.uvm.edu/86xpb

Looking for an interdisciplinary PhD experience? One that seeks real-world solutions to global environmental challenges? Apply now for a Gund PhD Fellowship at @uvmvermont.bsky.social with up to four years of funding. 🚨DETAILS: go.uvm.edu/phds #uvm

The networks that comprise ecosystems and the built environment might not seem comparable, but nature may have lots to teach about sustainable systems. FRIDAY: Kathryn Hinkelman discusses how studying ecological networks can inspire energy efficiency solutions. 🍕12-1, Farrell Hall go.uvm.edu/zupqf

Looking for an interdisciplinary PhD experience? One that seeks real-world solutions to global environmental challenges? Apply now for a Gund PhD Fellowship at @uvmvermont.bsky.social with up to four years of funding. 🚨DETAILS: go.uvm.edu/phds #uvm

"How do extreme disturbances reshape tropical insect communities? As climate change drives ever-stronger storms, it's an important ecological question. Grad fellow @auraalonsorodz.bsky.social & coauthors track moth communities for 5 yrs after back-to-back hurricanes in Puerto Rico: go.uvm.edu/ztrjy

Trees cool city streets and improve air quality. These benefits may not yield a tangible connection between humans and the environment-but what will? FRIDAY: Artist Andrea Conte & researcher Laura Passatore discuss how art can bring people closer to nature. 12-1, FLEMING MUSEUM: go.uvm.edu/k6s1l

FRIDAY! Join @scifri.bsky.social in Burlington for a live stage version of the beloved radio show Science Friday, hosted by Flora Lichtman! This is your chance to peek behind the curtain and be part of a special live recording, featuring Grad Fellows Sarra Talib & Alexis Yamashita! go.uvm.edu/id9w3

The climate's changing. What won't change: we need food. What crops can Vermonters grow in a warming world? How can we create a more sustainable food system? Oct. 17: @scifri.bsky.social's in Burlington to explore food's future, with grad fellows Sarra Talib & Alexis Yamashita! go.uvm.edu/42ob0

"New collaborations, new ideas, and new energy": Gund Institute Director @taylorhricketts.bsky.social and @amandasardonis.bsky.social, Director of Policy and Partnerships, returned from #ClimateWeek with great energy to move forward in a difficult political, and global, climate: go.uvm.edu/2iard

As healthcare confronts novel 21st-century challenges and patients face climate-change-induced issues, what will healthcare look like? FRIDAY: John Balbus of Climate Care Consulting, LLC shares possible solutions to these multifaceted challenges. 🍕12-1, Farrell Hall go.uvm.edu/zupqf

As we navigate a complex world, can a systems-based approach yield needed insights for challenging times? FRIDAY: Marta Ceroni of the Academy for Systems Change invites us to use systems thinking to "dance" our way through our current world's complexities. 🍕12-1, Farrell Hall go.uvm.edu/zupqf

This Thursday: Polish National Academy of Sciences geomorphologists Dr. Ania Zielonka and Dr. Hanna Hajdukiewicz discuss river floodplain dynamics and plastic pollution. 📍Aiken 311, 2-3 pm go.uvm.edu/yj9im

Will you be at hashtag#ClimateWeek? Please join us at these events! Register for Wednesday's event: go.uvm.edu/fyu61 Register for Thursday's event: go.uvm.edu/pxkio

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, collaboration efforts among planetary health workers have expanded. What have these endeavors to strengthen interdisciplinary pursuits yielded? FRIDAY: Dr. Elizabeth Daut discusses what's been accomplished, and what's still needed. 🍕12-1, Farrell Hall go.uvm.edu/zupqf

As we celebrate National Postdoc Appreciation Week, we want to take a moment to acknowledge our amazing postdoctoral fellows and their impactful research. From agriculture to climate change, our postdocs are providing sustainable solutions to environmental challenges, every day. go.uvm.edu/a76jt

Will you be at #ClimateWeek? Please join us at these events! Register for Wednesday's event: go.uvm.edu/fyu61 Register for Thursday's event: go.uvm.edu/pxkio

What have scientists learned about Greenland's past from a column of soil pulled from beneath nearly a mile of ice? And what warnings about the future does this ancient soil contain? SUNDAY: The Memory of Darkness, Light, and Ice: Film Screening and Q&A 5pm to 7pm, Davis Center go.uvm.edu/kznw3

Will you be at #ClimateWeek? Please join us at these events!

Who's stepping forward to take up global conservation work? What opportunities lie ahead as new, international efforts coalesce? FRIDAY: former USAID Center for Natural Environment Director Cynthia Gill discusses current and future global conservation efforts. 🍕12-1, Farrell Hall go.uvm.edu/zupqf

How are American farmers responding to climate change and its cultural effects? How might their choices affect surrounding ecosystems? FRIDAY: Eric Lonsdorf of @emoryuniversity.bsky.social presents research at the intersection of ecology and social values. 🍕12-1, Farrell Hall go.uvm.edu/zupqf

As summer heat hangs on in many American cities, the "urban heat island" effect is hard to escape. But smaller communities may also experience heat-related challenges. @uvmvermont.bsky.social prof. Elizabeth Doran discusses ameliorating extreme heat effects in towns of every size: go.uvm.edu/nw2u4

When flood and hurricanes strike, who leaves, and what do they bring with them? Not just boxes of belongings, as it turns out. Wealthier households leave affected communities at higher rates, and income migration may follow climate disasters: go.uvm.edu/pikq9

Innovative solutions are helping Vermont’s farmers boost their income and protect the environment—from cleaner waterways to renewable energy with potato peels. Discover how @gundinstitute.bsky.social UVM researchers are shaping a greener future. Read ⬇️ #UVMresearch

New @uvmvermont.bsky.social research finds transparency, follow-through, and visible progress on large-scale flood mitigation projects matter when it comes to getting homeowners to invest in their own flood mitigation projects. Read more: go.uvm.edu/xce73

The inaccurate belief that others don't care about climate change can discourage mitigation action. How to shift perspective? By changing narratives via leadership, media, and daily interactions showing willingness to act, says postdoctoral fellow @tabeamhoffmann.bsky.social: go.uvm.edu/534t9

At @uvmvermont.bsky.social's Borderview Research Farm in Alburgh, Gund Fellow Heather Darby and colleagues seek to help Vermont's farmers thrive in a changing climate. Learn more about their research, from vegetables to fibers to grass, in this @wcax.com story: go.uvm.edu/npfrs

A discarded toy on a Lake Champlain beach may take a different form one day: millions of microplastic bits, says @uvmvermont.bsky.social prof. @annejefferson.bsky.social. Learn about what Jefferson and colleagues are finding as they scour Lake Champlain for microplastic sources: go.uvm.edu/xen2p

Vermont shoppers have grown accustomed to grabbing reusable bags on the way to the store since plastic bags became unavailable. But how much have habits changed? A LOT, @uvmvermont.bsky.social researchers find: go.uvm.edu/5oqmt

How do we genuinely engage fossil fuel workers on climate solutions? New research by Megan Egler and Cheryl Morse examines how oil and gas workers view their work and reconcile their livelihoods and identities within the context of pro-and anti-fossil fuel narratives. go.uvm.edu/7vfju

Evacuating in a wildfire can be a terrifying and dangerous experience. But it may feel safer if there's a plan established in advance. @sarah-graj-dura.bsky.social spoke with survivors following the 2018 Camp Fire in California, and learned about their experiences: go.uvm.edu/n6ihe

A very rainy spring has left some Vermont farmers unable to plant corn on time. Gund Fellow Heather Darby discusses the challenges of this year's conditions on @wcax.com: go.uvm.edu/1u5hz

Degrowth Café is coming soon! 🐌 📍 Spiral House, 19 Church St, Burlington, VT 🕙 June 13, July 11, Aug 8 - all at 10am All are welcome! RSVP (not required) → [email protected] Note: space isn't wheelchair accessible. More info: www.l4ecozoic.org/degrowth-cafe #degrowth #leadershipfortheecozoic

As a solutions-oriented institute, we at the Gund know how vital research is in solving the many, multifaceted challenges of the 21st century. @uvmvermont.bsky.social's 2025 RISE Summit is focused on Research as a Public Good, and it's coming up in less than two weeks! Learn more: go.uvm.edu/s65ib

As they choose plants for this year's garden, many Vermonters seek ways to welcome native pollinators. In this story from @vtdigger.bsky.social, Gund Grad Fellow @lesliespencer.bsky.social shares ways to offer food and habitat for native pollinators, whether in a yard or container: go.uvm.edu/xu6y5

What would a good life for all, with housing, healthcare, other needs met, require in materials, hours worked, energy used? Is there a sustainable way to ensure everyone has a good life? Not without some big changes, says Grad Fellow Chris McElroy. Read their research here: go.uvm.edu/r5dj1

For Puerto Rico's insects, hurricanes aren't new-but how do moth communities change when back-to-back severe storms hit & climate change intensifies them? Grad Fellow Aura Alonso-Rodríguez & colleagues take a nuanced look at hurricane-driven shifts in rainforest moth biodiversity: go.uvm.edu/waf2l

From the screen you're reading this on to the podcast you listened to this morning, you use NSF-funded tech daily. Gund Fellow Paul Bierman's been thinking a lot about all the ways we use this research, from earthquake & hurricane prediction to digital tech. Read about them here: go.uvm.edu/vpo64

What factors create vulnerability to natural hazards? What turns a natural hazard into a disaster? TOMORROW: We'll explore approaches to these questions with a presentation and workshop from Prof. Iuliana Armas of the University of Bucharest.

Congratulations to Gund Graduate Fellow @lesliespencer.bsky.social, winner of @uvmvermont.bsky.social's Three-Minute Thesis contest! A small amount of time, but no small feat! Read about Leslie's work, which focuses on the wild pollinators that help provide our food: go.uvm.edu/inozu