The University of Minnesota Duluth’s (UMD) Research & Field Studies Center is inviting undergraduate biology students to join in a multi-year Forest Assisted Migration Project. Students will plant the types of tree seedlings that northern forests will need to survive in a warmer climate. The new seedlings will be planted in this Duluth demonstration plot and as the years progress, the trees will be compared with plots planted in many areas across northern Minnesota.
The event will take place on Saturday, September 25 from 9 am - 12 pm at the UMD Research Farm located at 4907 Jean Duluth Rd.
The day will begin with a brief presentation about the loss of the boreal species in Northern Minnesota. Then, students will create an experiment for the future by planting trees for climate change remediation. Fresh bagels and coffee will also be provided for participants.
This event is part of the collaboration between UMD and the Nature Conservancy. This effort will reforest northern Minnesota with as many as 25 million trees. Farmers in northern Minnesota are already growing climate-smart trees for restoration. The Nature Conservancy has committed to buying 40,000 of the seedlings. Minnesota Power will also purchase some of the trees. Minnesota Power has an ongoing project to plant millions of white pine, red pine, jack pine, and spruce trees on company land in northern Minnesota. Additional partners on this UMD project include the Northeast Regional Sustainable Development Partnership, the U of M Institute on the Environment at UMD and in the Twin Cities, the University of Minnesota Extension, and the Greater Mille Lacs Chapter of the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota.
About the Research & Field Studies Center
The UMD Research & Field Studies Center is a 114 acre site located approximately four miles from campus on Jean Duluth Road. It is an educational and research-centered resource that provides space to support multiple UMD programs. The main purpose of this space is to conduct research of natural ecosystems, plant and animal populations, and individual species in a changing landscape. Because there are many different campus groups using this space, it is referred to by different names including the UMD Land Lab and Farm Lab.
For more information about the Forest Assisted Migration Project, contact Julie Etterson, Biology Professor, Swenson College of Science & Engineering at (218) 726-8110 or [email protected].