Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College Environmental Institute

The Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College Environmental Institute’s programming focuses on sustainability, the environment, and natural resources with an Indigenous lens. Research, outreach, and ongoing education are coordinated by staff at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College and Fond du Lac Resource Management. Staff members, along with the University of Minnesota Extension, county resource managers, tribal officials, and citizen-groups,  advise on the direction of the Environmental Institute’s programs and initiatives. Research opportunities that provide hands-on experience are available for college students and graduates through land grant science projects provided by the Environmental Institute.

The Environmental Institute’s sustainability initiatives not only strengthen community resilience, but also balance the social/ecological needs of the community. It has resources on campus to teach green living through gardening, beekeeping, green energy, and forestry. To address food sovereignty within the region, it offers a Sustainable Food System Certificate for community members looking to pursue sustainable agriculture. The Bimaaji’idiwin Ojibwe Garden Program, which in addition to offering a demonstration garden, hands-on gardening workshops, and seasonal outlooks, provides over 300 pounds of produce to community food programs. Through events, such as an annual bee symposium, Sustainability Awareness Week, and Earth Week, students, staff, community members, and practitioners are provided with professional development opportunities that improve their understanding of sustainability and help them to recognize the role they play as problem solvers. 

As a land grant college, education, research, and outreach are at the core of the Environmental Institute’s projects. A solar-powered greenhouse on campus provides hands-on learning in energy and ecology-focused courses. The greenhouse has become a testing ground for students to explore year-round planting methods, solar energy, and passive heating systems.

Other research projects conducted by the Institute have focused on mercury levels within the St. Louis River watershed, wild rice restoration, and conservation of culturally significant natural resources. The Environmental Institute hosts multiple camps throughout the year for youth, all with a focus on STEAM learning. Workshops are also offered through their Thirteen Moons program, which helps youth and adults to improve their agricultural literacy while enhancing food productivity, community vitality, public health, and personal well-being.

Photo used with permission by Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College Tribal College Extension Bimaaji’idiwin Garden