Fall 2025 IonE Mini Grants Advance UMN Sustainability Projects

Today, we are excited to announce the fall 2025 supported projects – which range from addressing AI’s growing water footprint to investigating what traditional fisherfolk songs reveal about environmental occurrences throughout history.

“It was exciting to see such a wide diversity of high-quality projects,” says Nathaniel Springer, IonE research scientist in economics and sustainability, who served as a grant proposal reviewer. “The creativity and breadth of collaboration highlighted our IonE community’s strength in driving viable sustainability solutions.”

The 10 IonE Mini Grant awarded teams span multiple campuses of the University and represent interdisciplinary work across IonE focus areas, including adaptation, decision support, environmental justice, mitigation, and water and land.

The following project descriptions are presented in alphabetical order – and are based on information provided by teams lightly edited for style and consistency. Learn more about IonE's Mini Grants.

AI’s Hidden Thirst: A decision-support tool for water governance in Minnesota

The rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers in Minnesota is creating strain on local water and energy resources. Even with potential economic and social benefits, communities and regulators still lack the tools to assess the sustainability impact of these new technologies.

This project will develop a first-of-its-kind, bottom-up predictive model to precisely estimate the water footprint of new or future AI hardware. The team will deliver a proof-of-concept model, a white paper, and – in partnership with Freshwater Society and the Clifford J. Benson Center for Community Partnerships – co-design a mock-up of a community-facing dashboard. This work will provide an essential decision support tool for Minnesota, empowering communities and enabling science-based environmental governance for a sustainable technological future.

Team members: Wenkai Guan (PI), Computer Science, UMN Morris Division of Science and Mathematics; Yang (Katie) Zhao (Co-PI), Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, CSE; Zhichao Cao (Co-PI), School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, ASU; Tianlong Chen (Co-PI), Department of Computer Science, UNC-Chapel Hill

 

Art-Science Collaboration: Clean water, naturally

Clean water depends on a multitude of biological processes that provide unseen ecosystem services to sustain freshwaters. Key players include filter feeders, detritivores, scavengers, and microbes, all of whom break down and remove organic matter that could otherwise degrade water quality. Despite their importance, the role of these organisms is largely unknown and invisible to the public.

This project will catalyze engagement at the intersection of art, ecology, and education through a collaboration between artist Ellen Sandbeck and the Large Lakes Observatory (LLO) at the University of Minnesota Duluth. A paper-cut artist, Sandbeck will install an exhibition in the Research Lab Building involving “environmental cleaner” species, whose ecological roles support keeping water clean. This exhibition will act as a pilot project for LLO to expand into new ways of creative exchange, wherein artists and scientists work together to illuminate and support stewardship of freshwater ecosystems.

Team members: Catherine O’Reilly (PI), UMD Swenson College of Science & Engineering; Ellen Sandbeck, local artist; Julie Delliquanti, Tweed Museum of Art

Bringing Urban Ecology to the Public through Classical Music Composition

Over half of the world’s population lives in urban areas. Meeting sustainability goals requires an understanding of urban ecology and the engagement of urban communities in science. Sharing data is rarely enough – often, people benefit from storytelling and other creative approaches to engage with science. 

The project team aims to bring urban ecological research to the public through classical music through a partnership between the Minneapolis-St. Paul Urban Long-term Ecological Research program (MSP-LTER) and classical music composer Jessi Harvey. Harvey has a track record of communicating science through unique compositions where elements of the music often symbolize aspects of environmental science. Funding will support a musical performance at the Bell Museum in 2026. The team will collect audience data to study how musical engagement might affect an appreciation of urban ecology.

Team members: Emilie Snell-Rood (PI), Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, CBS; Jessi Harvey, Montana-based composer

EcoliteracySCHOOL: Local SE MN field experience & new partner pilots

EcoliteracySCHOOL is a long-standing collaboration between University of Minnesota Rochester and Pine Island High School, connecting public health and biology students through 15 weeks of shared coursework, mentorship, and immersive outdoor learning. Each fall, students participate in multi-day field experiences that emphasize the link between environmental and human health. 

Historically, students have traveled to Lake Superior and surrounding areas for their major multi-day field experience, though rising transportation costs and the loss of key transit partnerships have made travel to Northern Minnesota unsustainable. This project will support the development and implementation of two new, local field experiences in Southern Minnesota – focusing on a regional watershed in 2026 and the Mississippi River in 2027. The project team’s goal is to create meaningful, cost-effective experiences that preserve the program’s impact while increasing long-term sustainability.

Team members: Jessie Barnett (PI), The Center for Learning Innovation, UMN Rochester; Megan Schimek, Pine Island High School; Dawn Ryan, Forestville/Mystery Cave State Park

eDNA Monitoring & Analysis: Training students to detect aquatic invasive species

Aquatic invasive species (AIS) such as zebra mussels and starry stonewort continue to spread rapidly across Minnesota’s lakes, threatening ecosystem health, recreation, and local economies. Early detection and rapid response are the most effective strategies to limit their establishment – yet traditional monitoring methods, manual surveys, and diving inspections are costly and labor intensive. 

Environmental DNA (eDNA) monitoring offers a sensitive, cost-effective solution by detecting genetic material shed by organisms into water, allowing species identification without direct observation. This project will create a hands-on upper-level course on eDNA monitoring, focusing on detecting AIS in Minnesota lakes. Students will gain practical experience in field sampling, lab work, and data analysis while working with local lake associations. Outcomes include training students in applied molecular ecology and producing useful AIS data for lake managers. By connecting research, teaching, and outreach, this course will strengthen community-University partnerships and support early detection and management of AIS, helping protect Minnesota’s lakes and biodiversity.

Team members: Dhananjay Gotarkar (PI), Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, CFANS; Lynn Waterhouse, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, CFANS; Stephen Sundberg, Christmas Lake Homeowners Association; Tom Frahm, Lake Minnetonka Association

Fostering Community Engagement and Education About Invasive Plant Species in Duluth

Invasive plant species have long been known to negatively impact biodiversity and ecosystem services; however, members of the community are often unaware of these harmful effects or ways to mitigate them. One way to combat this is to provide opportunities for community education.

In this project, the Students Against Invasive Species Club (SAISC) – a student organization at the University of Minnesota Duluth – will collaborate with two local nonprofit organizations to promote community engagement and education. SAISC members will remove invasive plant species, notably common and glossy buckthorn, at these sites. Following removal, sustainable native plant gardens will be created, and educational signage will be posted with information about ecosystem health and invasive plant identification and management strategies, allowing visitors to learn about the ecological impacts of native and invasive species.

Team members: Paul Bates (PI), UMD Swenson College of Science & Engineering; Students Against Invasive Species Club: Helena Carlson, Kevin Castaneda, Thomas Belschner, and Sadie Willkomm 

Honoring Dakota: A model for building resilient communities

The Honoring Dakota Project (HDP) is a new Red Wing and Prairie Island Indian Community-based organization. HDP applies, builds on, and grows the practice of Mitakuye Owasin (translated to “we are all related” in English) to heal the land, people, relationships, and ecosystems disrupted by colonization.

Over 2025-2026, the organization is working with University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs and the University Extension’s Southeast Regional Sustainable Development Partnership (RSDP) on strategic planning and organizational development. This partnership, rooted in practices of deep relationship building and engagement, aims to co-create a roadmap to expand HDP’s impact beyond arts and culture-focused projects. Community-University collaboration will be in-person with strategic planning activities throughout the year including focus groups, feedback sessions, and events. An IonE Mini Grant will provide travel funding to support the project’s authentic engagement and mutual learning.

Team members: Leadership and Management Area, UMN Humphrey School of Public Affairs: Tia Sherèe Gaynor (PI) and Brandi Blessett; Andi Sutton, Southeast RSDP; Honoring Dakota Project: Nicky Buck, Jasmine Fiddler, & Kim Lampe; Graduate students in UMN Humphrey School of Public Affairs: Amy Thomas, Moira Villiard, Larissa Littlewolf, John Langen, and Gabrielle Agbenyiga

Inaugural Minnesota Stormwater Pond Research & Community Symposium

There are estimated to be more than 30,000 stormwater ponds in Minnesota. Many of these ponds were constructed decades ago to capture pollutants, reduce runoff volume, and decrease the rate of downstream release. Current evaluation reveals many of these ponds have outlived their life expectancy and require inspection and maintenance to maintain effectiveness and meet community needs. Pond owners and operators require research-based solutions to rehabilitate ponds as well as a space to share ideas and strategies that many of them have discovered on their own.

This project will develop a two-day event – the Minnesota Stormwater Pond Research Symposium – bringing together urban stormwater pond practitioners, professionals, policy leaders, and researchers from public and private sectors for an opportunity to network and exchange knowledge to help make the practice more effective and efficient to meet community water resource needs.

Team members: Water Resources Center, CFANS: John Bilotta (PI), Maggie Karschnia, Wen Martinez, and Katya Del Mundo

The Social Ecology of Beaver Conservation: Linking perceptions, values and management

In Minnesota, North American beavers provide important ecological benefits, while also creating conflicts with human land use. As ecosystem engineers, beavers form wetlands that improve water quality and buffer communities from climate-driven flooding and drought, yet their activities can also flood roads, damage infrastructure, and alter landscapes. These mixed benefits and challenges highlight the need to understand how Minnesotans perceive and value beavers and the habitats they create. 

This project uses a best-worst scaling (BWS) experiment to examine public perceptions, values, and management preferences related to beavers and their landscapes. Through an interactive survey at the Driven to Discover Research Facility during the 2026 Minnesota State Fair, participants will evaluate beaver-influenced habitats and share ecological and aesthetic values. Findings will help inform Minnesota Department of Natural Resources outreach and support socially responsive, community-engaged approaches to beaver and habitat management.

Team members: Kyle Smith (PI), Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, CBS; Afton Clarke-Sather (Co-PI), UMD Department of Environment, Sustainability & Geography; Adam Landon, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR)

Water, Climate and Cultural Archives in South Asia

Folk and oral traditions form some of the earliest ecological archives. From fisherfolk songs and sailors’ chants to modern novels and poems, these cultural forms show the sea, rivers, and wetlands as archives of memory and survival. They reveal how communities, especially marginalized ones, have lived with environmental precarity that now defines the global climate crisis.

This project investigates how Indian coastal and water narratives record and interpret environmental crises over time, focusing on climate change, ecological vulnerability, and social inequality. By analyzing texts from fisherfolk songs and sailors’ chants to contemporary novels and poetry, the project highlights how communities historically navigated ecological precarity and social injustice. It brings together literary scholarship, environmental science, and digital mapping through an interactive ArcGIS StoryMap and a Water Archive, which collects oral histories, artifacts, and literary materials from coastal and riverine communities. The project emphasizes collaborative learning and public engagement, including workshops with students, local educators, and community partners – connecting South Asian water narratives to contemporary freshwater challenges in the Midwest.

Team members: Elliott H. Powell (PI), American Studies, Asian American Studies, CLA; Pratiti Ketoki, PhD student, Cultural Studies & Comparative Literature; Anushmita Mohanty, UWM graduate student, English

Dana Hernandez is the Communications & Editorial Manager at the Institute on the Environment.