Department of Environmental Studies

University of Illinois at Springfield

SPRING 2017

Welcome from the Chair

The goal of the Department of Environmental Studies is to enhance society’s

ability to create an environmentally-acceptable future.

ENS Newsletter

Student Spotlight: Marissa Jones

Marissa Jones is a sophomore majoring in Environmental Stud-

ies. She has served in a Leadership Lived Experience position as

the Campus Sustainability Projects Coordinator under the super-

vision of Dr. Megan Styles.

How long have you been attending UIS?

I started as a freshman. I’m from Girard, Illinois, and

wanted to stay local as an undergrad. UIS offers a di-

verse student body and a lot ways to make connections.

Why did you choose to apply to the Leadership Lived position?

This was a great way to take on a leadership role within

a subject area I was interested. I felt it was a great way

to make a difference.

What are some of your typical job duties?

Dr. Styles, who is the co-chair of the Campus Sustaina-

bility Committee, has directed me toward coordinating

many campus events, such as Earth Week and working

in the campus garden. I serve on the Bicycle Advisory

Committee; we were recently recognized as a bronze

level Bicycle Friendly University. Also, I have been

working to increase recycling on campus. UIS will par-

ticipate in Recycle Mania, and hopefully more students

will become involved.

Does this position contribute to your future goals and interests?

This position has helped me gain both personal and

professional experience. I have been able to work with

others who are interested in sustainability and collabo-

rate on common goals. Being involved at the local level

has enabled me to take a leadership role and really

make a difference. I’m grateful for this experience and

the chance to improve the UIS campus.

Inside this issue:

Welcome! 1

Student Spotlight

Marissa Jones

1

Faculty Focus: Brandon Derman

2

Campus Garden Update

2

Student/Faculty Research

3

There are many success stories from this year, and I want to highlight just a few:

Molly Levy wins Outstanding Zoology Presentation Award [Movement Ecology of

Franklin’s Ground Squirrels (Poliocitellus franklinii) in a Fragmented Landscape] at Illinois

State Academy of Science meeting.

Jamie Lange wins Outstanding Environmental Science Presentation Award [Spatial As-

sociation between Brown-Headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) and Bison (Bison bison) over

Time at Nachusa Grasslands, Illinois] at Illinois State Academy of Science meeting.

Amelia Owre wins UIS’ Outstanding Masters Thesis Award (The Impact of Sea Level

Rise on Carbon Storage and Sequestration in the Tijuana River National Estuarine Re-

search Reserve) and represents the university at the Midwestern Association of Gradu-

ate Schools Distinguished Masters competition.

Levi Reed (Thomas A. Shearer Scholarship) and Jeremy Zwaga (ENS Alumni Award)

are early 2017-2018 scholarship winners. More winners coming soon!

Faculty Focus: Dr. Brandon Derman

SPRING 2017 PAGE 2

Dr. Derman came to UIS after a PhD in Geography at the University of Washington. He also holds an MA

from Hunter College CUNY, and a BA from the University of Michigan. Dr. Derman’s research seeks to un-

derstand how socio-ecological processes and relations are framed in politics, law, and policy, and with what con-

sequences. His dissertation examined how anthropogenic climate change became a stake in social justice advo-

cacy, and how advocates have pursued recognition and redress for disproportionately affected communi-

ties. For that project he attended and observed three United Nations climate change negotiations, and the alter-

native summits convened at their margins. Those experiences led to participant observation in other climate

governance and activism settings, and a series of interviews with climate justice advocates and their government

interlocutors, on four continents. Offshoots of the project have appeared in the journals Climate Policy, the

Annual Review of Law and Social Science, and South African Journal on Human Rights, and in edited volumes.

So far at UIS Dr. Derman has taught courses on environmental and natural resource

policy, and climate change. He is extremely excited to have joined ENS, and has

been delighted this year to work with its wonderful graduate and undergraduate stu-

dents, staff, and faculty.

UIS Campus Garden: UPDATE

Spring is here, which means our own UIS Campus Community Garden is up and running! This year, Chancellor Koch allocated money to build a hoop house for the garden. A hoop house is a series of large metal hoops covered with a layer of heavy greenhouse plastic. UIS gardeners will start their seeds in the hoop house six weeks before the outdoor planting season begins. "Many gardeners have to buy plants because they don't have space to start seeds, which can be expensive" says Dr. Megan Styles, faculty coordinator for the gar-den. "The hoop house gives us the space to start our own seeds and we'll be able to donate plants to local school and community gardens that don't have greenhouse space." The hoop house will also extend the growing garden season. "We expect to be eating delicious leafy greens from the garden until late fall!" says Dr. Styles. The UIS Garden Group also plans to expand the outdoor garden to double its original size. They ordered a seed starter package from Seeds Savers International, a non-profit that encourages gardeners to plant heirloom plant varie-ties. "Anyone who visits the garden will be able to help themselves to delicious, healthy, fresh, local produce," says Dr. Styles. "We'll have kale, carrots, potatoes, herbs, squash, melons, peppers, beans, peas, and much more."

The UIS Campus Community Garden group has scheduled two work days for the Spring Semester. On Friday, April 28, volunteers will build new beds and clear the ground for the new expanded outdoor garden section. On Friday, May 5, volunteers will transplant seedlings from the hoop house to the outdoor garden beds. Both events will be from 9AM to Noon in the garden, which is located near the Shepard House (#22 on a UIS campus map). Light snacks and water will be provided. To RSVP for either or both events or for more details, please visit the garden Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/UISGarden. "We welcome anyone interested in gardening, being outdoors, and making new friends," says Dr. Styles. "No experience is necessary, and we provide all the tools. See you there!" If you have questions about the garden, you can contact Dr. Styles by email at mstyl2@uis.edu.

PAGE 3 SPRING 2017

Community Garden Student/Faculty Research

During summer 2016, Dr. Megan Styles, Dr. Tiffani

Saunders (Sociology and Anthropology), and ENS un-

dergraduate student Bree Henderson, conducted re-

search for an ongoing project examining the perceived

benefits of community gardening in Springfield. The

city is home to many gardens run by different organiza-

tions. Bree sat down to talk about her experience and

it’s impact.

How did you get involved with this project?

I applied to the position and was excited to be working

with community gardens. I grew up gardening and val-

ue working with land. It was a perfect fit.

What was your role?

I did some background research on community gar-

dens, interviewed gardeners and other participants, and

participated in garden work nights. This was the best

part of my job. I loved talking with people and making

connections with others. I was able to really understand

that working in a community garden is about building a

community. It sounds cliché, but relationships were

central to the process of building a garden and its suc-

cess.

How has this experience contributed to your conceptions about

community gardens?

I think, if anything, it really sparked an interest in what

it means to have access. Access to things like healthy

food, public land, basic rights. The motivation behind

these gardens differed, from a desire to help others,

interest in beautification or a political statement. Re-

gardless, when the right to access this gardens was open

to anyone, it created a sense of social cohesion. Con-

nections and relationships were forged over common

ground, literally.

Is there a future for community gardens in Springfield?

Gardens are a lot of work, period. There are some gar-

dens which have been established for a long time with a

solid organizational structure and interested partici-

pants. On the other hand, there are those who struggle

a bit more due to lack of resources or organization. I

will say, those who participate are dedicated in their

belief that community gardens are an essential part of a

healthy and vibrant neighborhood.

Bree Henderson will be presenting a poster at the 2017 Student Technology,

Arts and Research Symposium (STARS). STARS is scheduled April 20-

21, 2017 at the UIS campus. Please visit the website for more information:

http://www.uis.edu/research/student-research-and-scholarship-support/stars/.

Bree was also selected by the UIS Undergraduate Research Steering Committee

to be one of ten student presenters at the fourth annual University of Illinois

Undergraduate Research Day at the Illinois State capitol Building April 25,

2017.

Department of Environmental Studies

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