At Northwestern, students watch climate change through maple trees

EVANSTON, Ill.

Big Mama has seen a lot of students passing by in her 120 years. So have Little Mama, Big Bertha, Persephone, Doug and Grant — just some of the many sugar maple trees on Northwestern University’s campus that have provided not only sap, but also data to students doing a course on maple syrup and climate change.

A Hands-On Experience in Data Collection

It’s a class that the students, who come from majors ranging from environmental policy and journalism to civil engineering, say provides hands-on experience in data collection and a front-row seat to witness climate change. It’s also a highly sought-after course and one that students say more programs should emulate with its incorporation of Indigenous knowledge. Many current and former students are passionate about the environment and are keen on learning more about environmental justice and Native perspectives.

Lack of Indigenous Representation

But less than one percent of Northwestern’s benefits-eligible staff in the 2020 and 2021 academic years identified as American Indian or Alaska Native — a statistic that follows a nationwide trend, which, as of fall of 2021, indicated that the same group made up less than one-half of one percent of college faculty in the U.S., according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Northwestern says it’s actively working to enhance its Native and Indigenous presence on campus, including through faculty recruitment, and is proud of the quality of its Indigenous faculty.

Maple Syrup and Climate Change

The maple course instructor, Eli Suzukovich III, is of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa/Cree and first came to the idea of tapping urban trees in 2012, when he was working for the American Indian Center in Chicago. He says he and his colleagues realized it was a good outdoor activity for winter and early spring, and built a curriculum around the practice. “It was largely for Native kids, as a way to think about climate change and environment from a Native perspective, but also thinking about Native traditions,” he said.

Connecting Indigenous Education with Climate Curricula

Now, he’s adapted that curriculum, in partnership with associate professor of chemistry Shelby Hatch, for Northwestern students, who have been taking the class for about seven years. “In seven years I’ve had seven different winters,” Suzukovich III said. “The only thing I can know that’s consistent is that the trees will produce sap at some point.”

Hands-On Learning and Environmental Justice

This year, through hail and freezing rain, students calculated the trees’ heights. Next, they tapped through layers of bark to get to the sap that flows through their trunks, and tested the sugar content of that sap using a special tool called a refractometer. Eventually, they’ll boil into maple syrup what they catch in plastic containers duct taped to the side of each tree.

“I’ve loved this class and just the opportunity to learn through doing,” said Zella Milfred, a junior who grew up organizing around climate issues in Madison, Wisconsin. One of her fellow class project group members, sophomore Bela Filstrup, also grew up engaged in climate activism and says it was important to her to have a strong science background as well as to study connections between climate and environmental justice. “Getting to know your environment a lot more and having just so much more respect of the land, I think is really important,” she said.

Adapting and Changing with the Times

Forrest Bruce, a former student of the class who is now a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate interested in climate change education for Native youth, also said he appreciated the course for allowing him to connect with the land and for its focus on adaptation.

“Our ancestors, they always found ways to adapt and to change with the times. And so we’re continuing that tradition,” he said.

Conclusion

This class at Northwestern University provides students with a unique opportunity to learn about climate change and environmental justice through hands-on experience in maple syrup production. The incorporation of Indigenous knowledge and perspectives adds depth to the curriculum and allows students to connect with the land and their environment. While there is a lack of Indigenous representation in the university’s staff and faculty, efforts are being made to enhance Native and Indigenous presence on campus. This course serves as a model for other programs to follow in incorporating sustainability and Indigenous education into their curricula.

Associated Press journalist Joshua A. Bickel contributed to this report.

Follow Melina Walling on X: @MelinaWalling.

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

SDGs Addressed or Connected to the Issues Highlighted in the Article:

1. SDG 4: Quality Education
2. SDG 13: Climate Action
3. SDG 15: Life on Land

Specific Targets Based on the Article’s Content:

• SDG 4.7: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including among others through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles.
• SDG 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising, and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning.
• SDG 15.2: By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests, and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally.

Indicators Mentioned or Implied in the Article:

• Number of students enrolled in courses or programs that incorporate Indigenous knowledge and provide hands-on experience in data collection related to climate change (related to SDG 4.7).
• Extent of education and awareness-raising activities on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning among students (related to SDG 13.3).
• Number of trees tapped and amount of maple syrup produced as a result of the course (related to SDG 15.2).

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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Source: apnews.com

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