Impacts of Inclusive, Community-Engaged Research

December 14, 2025

An interview with Michelle L. Johnson, spatial ecologist at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, by Natalia C. Piland, Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center for Environment, Community, & Equity at American University

For the Fall 2025 "Partner Spotlight" feature, MSP LTER partner Dr. Natalia C. Piland interviewed spatial ecologist Dr. Michelle L. Johnson about the STEW-MAP (Stewardship Mapping and Assessment) Project. Born from the simple question Who takes care of this place, STEW-MAP tracks stewardship groups and their social relationships to reveal their impact on local environments. This conversation offers insights into the ins and outs of interdisciplinary community-engaged research, from the local to the global.

March 25, 2025

By Adora Thao, who served as a youth Intern and crew member at Urban Roots in 2024

For the first-ever "Partner Spotlight" feature, the MSP LTER invited Adora Thao to share her experience working at Urban Roots as a youth intern and crew member, and reflect on her partnership with the MSP LTER’s Science Deep Dive internship program. Since 2022, the MSP LTER Urban Contaminants Team has collaborated with Urban Roots to test its sites for contaminants such as heavy metals and microplastics—and explore potential remediation strategies.

March 27, 2025

By Lindsey Kemmerling, Postdoctoral Researcher with the University of Minnesota College of Biological Sciences, and the MSP LTER Urban Contaminants Team

Postdoctoral Researcher Lindsey Kemmerling reflets on MSP LTER's partnership with Urban Roots, a nonprofit organization on the East Side of St. Paul focused on urban farming, conservation, and youth education. In 2022, Lindsey launched Science Deep Dive—a youth internship program that pairs MSP LTER researchers with Urban Roots youth interns, introducing them to hands-on research experiences that “dive deep” into the ecology of the Twin Cities and helping them identify pathways to pursue careers in science.