There are many academic paths students can choose from. However, the exciting thing about studying at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) is that those paths often intersect. For Sophie Guth and Justin Ciletti, that point of intersection is happening this summer in the fields of UMD’s Land Lab.
The two make small talk as they work to shovel a pile of dirt into a large compost spreader. The sound of their shovels plunging into the black soil has an imperfect rhythm to it. Adding to the soundscape are a variety of insects calling out from the cover of the tall grasses and flowers surrounding a few distinct garden plots.
“Working on the Land Lab is kind of like we’re working where rubber meets the road,” Ciletti said. “This is where the practical applications of environmental science actually take place.”
While Ciletti is studying environmental science and German studies, Guth is chipping away at her biology degree, but both came to UMD for similar reasons.
“I chose UMD because of their focus on climate change and the environment,” Guth said.
“I decided I wanted to go somewhere I could study environmental science in a very fitting location,” Ciletti added.
In an effort to gain a closer connection to the subjects they study in class, both are spending their summer working for UMD’s Office of Sustainability at the UMD Land Lab, a field site focused on food justice and environmental research just five miles from campus. Right now, they’re busy preparing a market garden where produce and flowers will be grown and delivered to UMD’s Dining Services and to community members who experience food insecurity.
In addition to learning about sustainable agriculture, these students are also a part of environmental research in action. They’re helping to prepare hundreds of tree seedlings in the Land Lab’s high tunnel for planting in the Superior National Forest as part of the Forest Assisted Tree Migration Project, a collaborative effort between UMD and The Nature Conservancy. The goal is to diversify tree species in the Great Lakes region in response to climate change. This summer, the Land Lab is also applying biochar to a fieldsite to benefit soil biology and permanently sequester carbon.
“I really enjoy getting to learn how to grow a variety of plants and crops, and work with the environment and make the environment healthier while we’re doing it,” Guth said.
After Ciletti and Guth finish filling the compost spreader, Guth climbs into the seat of the tractor it’s hitched to. She slides on a pair of earmuffs, fires up the engine, and steers the tractor down a row in the market garden to apply the compost. Meanwhile, Ciletti works to establish an irrigation system, rolling out a hose at the other end of the garden and securing it in the ground.
Soon, this plot of land will be lush with produce and pollinators, and these two students will return to class in the fall with new perspectives to apply to their respective fields of study.
“I love it up here,” Ciletti said.