Warm greetings from a chilly New England, where the days are getting longer, with lovely winter light illuminating the snowy landscapes.
In mid-winter, we are reminded to slow down, settle by a cozy fire and reflect on our collective successes. This newsletter includes a captivating profile of Professor Niveen Ismail–our Inaugural CEEDS Ellen Braestrup Strickler ‘57 Faculty Research Fellow–and her research that addresses important questions about water quality, aquatic microorganisms, and biofilms along the Mill River. Other faculty members are bringing environmental issues to their scholarship, posing questions about institutional decarbonization strategies and outcomes, situating geothermal energy in climate fiction, and using reclaimed campus materials to build artistic sculptures. CEEDS continues to bring positive and impactful programming to the community, like our annual cider pressing, a new wildlife mapping app, and habitat restoration activities at the MacLeish Field Station.
Grab a warm drink–maybe the new Grecourt Green tea–and read about our efforts to build a sustainable world through education, research and community engagement.
-Beth Hooker, Senior Director of CEEDS
Lay of the Land: Saving Snakes at MacLeish Field Station
MacLeish Field Station has been featured in the news recently for a habitat restoration project, with stories in The Daily Hampshire Gazette, The Reminder,The Greenfield Recorder, and a piece by Smith student Alex Blaszczyk '27 in the National Wildlife Federation blog. This project was funded by a Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom grant in partnership with the National Wildlife Federation, with the goal of protecting habitat for a threatened species of tree snake. The restoration project included the construction of an overwintering structure for snakes, also known as a “hibernaculum.”
Watch the video to learn more!
Wildlife Mapping on Campus
There is a lot that can be said about the urban wildlife of the Smith College, but “svelte” is not a term commonly associated with our charismatic macrofauna. In an homage to “Fat Bear Week,” Spatial Analysis Lab Associate Jill Ferraro ‘26 and team created a crowdsourced map, Chunky Critters of Smith College, of wildlife spotted on campus in early winter. Visit this map to learn more about species distribution on campus, or just to meet “Brünnhilde the Bunny” or “Mean Hawky Boy.”
Fall Family Days: Cider Pressing, Heirloom Apples and Education at Davis Meadow
Smith students put some muscle into welcoming home Smith alumni and families with local doughnuts and sweet cider, freshly pressed from local apples. CEEDS student interns managed much of the lifting and coordination and encouraged visitors to join in the fun by hand-cranking the antique apple press, making fresh cider throughout the day.
Visitors also joined our own Beth Hooker on Davis Meadow, to learn about the landscape restoration as well as the system at work under their feet: a geothermal wellfield. The final geothermal borehole was completed in September and the heating and cooling systems are operational in two of the three campus districts (40% of campus buildings), marking a major milestone in Smith's decarbonization journey. The entire campus geothermal system has an anticipated completion date of 2028. CEEDS continues to connect this project to teaching, learning and scholarship through targeted events, curricular enhancement grants and faculty fellowships.
Family Days by the numbers:
25 bushels of apples were pressed by alums, students, and friends into 50 gallons of fresh cider,
Guests enjoyed 1,200 cups of cider,
Associate director of CEEDS Joanne Benkley provided heirloom apple taste tests and the history of 12 varieties,
3 food trucks (Holyoke Hummus, Crazy Arepas, and Thai Chili) served over 400 meals,
40 species of native plants were established on the new Davis Meadow
Upcoming Events:
January 20-March 12, M-Th: River Valley Radical Futures on display at the Taber Art Gallery at Holyoke Community College Donahue Building, 10am-5pm
Wednesday, February 11: CEEDS Open House for faculty and staff, 4:30-6pm
February 9-13: Love Data Week in Neilson Library and the Spatial Analysis Lab
Friday April 17: Wild and Scenic Film Festival with Kestrel Land Trust, 7-9:30pm
Monday April 20: LightsOut! on the Quad student event hosted by EcoReps, 9-11pm
If you did not receive this message directly, you can add your email to the CEEDS Newsletter Mailing List at the following link to receive three updates from us per year.
