EnviroThursday Spring 2026
Presentations take place at 12 noon, Olin-Rice Room 350
January 29, 2026
No EnviroThursday – Start of Semester
February 5, 2026
Panel Discussion: Multidisciplinary perspectives on Kalaallit Nunaat/Greenland
Panelists: Louisa Bradtmiller, Mary Heskel, Marianne Milligan, Mindy Jewell Price and Tom Robertson
Greenland has been in the news lately for both its geopolitical importance, as well as its importance to the climate system under climate change. Greenland also has a unique governance structure, and a thriving Indigenous population and culture that has taken an increasing role in self-governance. This panel discussion will feature brief prepared remarks by the four panelists, and then we will welcome discussion and questions from panelists and the audience. Please join us as we test out a new format option for EnviroThursday!
February 12, 2026
No EnviroThursday – ES Majors and Minors Lunch
February 19, 2026
“Man-Made Jungles: How Indigenous People Made Nepal’s Famous Grassland National Parks“
Speaker: Prof. Tom Robertson, Environmental Studies, Macalester College
Few places offer a better view onto the contradictions of the post-WWII wave of “fortress conservation” than Nepal’s Chitwan National Park. Often called Asia’s Serengeti, Chitwan is home to endangered one-horned rhinos and Bengal tigers, both of which thrive in the park’s tall grasslands (which resemble some Midwest grasslands in some ways). Chitwan is also home to the Indigenous Tharu, who helped maintain the health of the grasslands for generations through yearly burning. In 1973, when international and Nepali conservationists joined forces with the Nepali monarchy to create the park, mostly to protect the grasslands and the charismatic animals who depended upon them, the Nepali army put an end to grazing and burning. The result: a lose-lose situation. Tharu livelihoods suffered, as did the grasslands. 50 years later, only half still exist.
February 26, 2026
“Livability: Human Impacts in Transportation Decision-Making”
Speaker: Gloria J. Jeff, Strategic Development
The US Transportation System is wearing out. Transportation professionals are faced with the dilemma of how to preserve the current system, respond to the changing demand, and diminishing buying power while responding to the changing expectations of the people it serves. Good technical decisions without publicly responsive elements don’t often result in good solutions for the human environment. This talk will describe and explore an approach to transportation decision-making that considers the human environment impacts in the transportation decision-making. The concept of Livability looks beyond concrete, asphalt, and steel.
March 5, 2026
Learn about the new Geothermal System on campus
Speakers: Bryant Johnson, Midwest Mechanical Solutions and Spencer Ingaldson, Darcy Solutions
Geothermal is coming to Macalester College, and we’re excited to share what makes this project unique. Unlike traditional ground-loop systems, the Darcy Solutions system—developed right here in Minnesota—places a sealed heat exchanger directly within the aquifer. This approach allows the campus to leverage the stable temperature of groundwater without extracting or consuming it, improving efficiency while minimizing environmental impact. During our presentation, we’ll explain how the system works, why it’s different from conventional geothermal, and what it means for long-term campus sustainability and energy performance.
March 12, 2026
Working Productively Across Differences in Values: Exploring the Siting of Data Centers
Panelists: Prof. Takeo Kuwabara, Julian Hartland, Dylan Jeppe, Lukas Locks-Scamp (’25), Tessa Myatt, Zaki Numani (’24), and Seneca Wilson
This event supported by: The Macalester Dialogue Across Differences
March 19 2026
No EnviroThursday – Spring Break
March 26, 2026
April 2, 2026 – *in OLRI 250*
TBA: Co-sponsored event with Biology
April 9, 2026 – *in OLRI 250*
“Indigenous Forestry and Conservation”
Speaker: Danielle Ignace (Co-Sponsored with Biology)
April 16, 2026
Speaker: Prof Jim Feldman, UW Madison
April 21, 2026 *Special Enviro Tuesday Event – 11:30AM-1PM – OLRI 250*
Environmental Studies Honors Presentations
“***”
by Georgia Akins
“***”
by Inbal Armony
“***”
by Lorenna Graham
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by Lucia Zuvela
April 23 2026
No EnviroThursday – College-wide Faculty & Staff Event
April 30, 2026
Speaker: Prof. Amanda Hund, Carleton College