NREL EcoPress

04/30/2026

Nitrogen fertilizer is essential for global food production, but more than half of what is applied to crops is often lost to the environment. These losses contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, water and air pollution, and broader ecosystem impacts.

Researchers at Colorado State University are part of a new international collaboration aimed at reducing agricultural emissions while maintaining crop productivity.

The initiative, known as the Agricultural Nitrogen Use Efficiency Platform, is hosted by Aarhus University and supported by the Novo Nordisk Foundation. AgNUE will bring together institutions across Europe and the United States to create the first international network dedicated to measuring and understanding how nitrogen moves through agricultural fields.

Learn more: https://www.nrel.colostate.edu/csu-researchers-join-international-effort-to-improve-nitrogen-management-in-agriculture/

04/27/2026

04/21/2026

04/16/2026

Join folks from NREL EcoPress, Colorado State University - Ecosystem Science and Sustainability, CitSci, and others from across Colorado State University for a community event! Celebrate Earth Day, CSU Natural Resource Days, and Citizen Science Month with hands-on environmental action and real research.

On Wednesday, April 22 at 2 PM MT, we’ll meet in the Natural and Environmental Sciences Building (NESB) lobby for a one-hour community clean-up, where we also log data about what we picked up to power sustainability research.

Learn more (and RSVP!): https://blog.citsci.org/2026/04/16/join-us-for-the-leavenotrash-university-challenge-at-csu-earth-day-natural-resource-days-and-citizen-science-month/

This is a CSU-centric clean-up that is part of the broader, global University Challenge, led by CitSci and Leave No Trace. Cleanup Week runs April 18–26, 2026, with events happening on campuses around the world.

We hope to see you at the CSU clean-up and that you help spread the word to friends at other universities and colleges! https://blog.citsci.org/2026/02/18/organize-your-campus-community-leavenotrash-university-challenge/

Small actions add up. One hour can make a difference. Thank you for helping us Leave. No. Trash!

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04/06/2026

Today’s the day!

Join our friends at the School of Global Environmental Sustainability- Colorado State University for "Prairie Fortified: Shelterbelts and Conservation in the Great Plains" at 4 PM in NESB B218 – Swift Conference Room.

Featuring Dr. David Vail (University of Nebraska at Kearney), in discussion with Bill Romme (CSU), attend this event to learn how farmers, scientists, and communities responded to environmental crises starting in the 1930s—using shelterbelts and windbreaks to protect land and build long-term resilience across the Great Plains.

Open to all—join in: https://sustainability.colostate.edu/event/prairie-fortified-shelterbelts-and-conservation-in-the-great-plains/

03/25/2026

What are you doing at 4 PM MT today? Going to this engaging event at The Africa Center, we hope!

Join us on March 25 for Dr. Joseph Mbaiwa's talk on global opposition versus local support in relation to wildlife tourism in Botswana! Please check flyer for more details.

03/05/2026

🌲🐞 We are excited that Tony Vorster, Research Scientist at the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, will be speaking at an event next week!

Wednesday, March 11
5:00–6:30 PM
Free panel discussion: "Managing the Next Outbreak: Mountain Pine Beetles and the Future of Colorado's Forest Communities"
Avogadro’s Number, 605 S. Mason Street, Fort Collins, CO

Mountain pine beetles have reshaped millions of acres of Colorado’s forests. What does that mean for the communities that live, work, and recreate here?

This panel brings together experts in tree health and beetle-associated fungi, forest ecology and management, statewide forest protection strategy, and forest insect science to discuss how Colorado can better anticipate and manage future outbreaks.

The conversation will explore what drives beetle populations, how outbreaks intersect with wildfire risk and water resources, and what coordinated science, management, and policy efforts are underway to strengthen forest resilience.

Panelists:
🌲Matt McCombs, State Forester and Director, Colorado State Forest Service
🌲Jane Stewart, Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural Biology
🌲Tony Vorster, Research Scientist, Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory
🌲Dan West, State’s Forest Entomologist, Colorado State Forest Service

Moderated by Gene Kelly, School of Global Environmental Sustainability- Colorado State University Faculty Research Liaison, Director of the Agricultural Experiment Station, and Associate Dean of CSU Extension

Learn more:
https://sustainability.colostate.edu/event/managing-the-planet_3-11-2026/

02/24/2026

🎉 Big news from Colorado State University!

CSU has debuted a new Participatory Science Center, a hub for inclusive, community-engaged research where scientists and the communities collaborate to address the grand challenges of our time.

This marks a major step toward making CSU one of the nation’s leading campuses for participatory science.

Our vision: To weave participatory science into coursework, research, and community partnerships — democratizing science and building trust.

The PSC builds on platforms like CitSci, which has supported over 1,000 citizen science projects worldwide.

📸 Pictured (L to R): Sarah Newman, Stacy Lynn, and Greg Newman

Warner College of Natural Resources NREL EcoPress Colorado State University College of Agricultural Sciences

Join us in building a more inclusive research ecosystem: https://warnercnr.source.colostate.edu/csu-launches-participatory-science-center-to-spearhead-engaged-research/

02/18/2026

We invite you to a memorial honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Diana Wall — pioneering soil ecologist, beloved mentor, and founding director of CSU’s School of Global Environmental Sustainability.

Diana’s groundbreaking work in Antarctica and her tireless advocacy for biodiversity and sustainability inspired generations of scientists and shaped research around the world.

Diana served as the director of the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory (NREL) from 1993 until 2005.

This gathering is an opportunity for current and former NREL members, CSU colleagues, students, and friends to come together in reflection, gratitude, and remembrance.

The program will include tributes, a memory slideshow, and light refreshments. All are welcome, whether you knew Diana personally or just want to celebrate her legacy.

Please RSVP by Friday, March 6: http://bit.ly/dianawallmarch14

Before the event, we also invite you to share memories and reflections about Diana for a book and slideshow: http://bit.ly/dianawallmemories

Your response will help us plan seating and refreshments. All are welcome.

Contact NREL Communications ([email protected]) with any questions.

02/05/2026

🌟 INTERNSHIP ALERT! 🌟

White Sands National Park is looking for applicants for two yearlong interpretive internship positions! These 52-week paid internships through American Conservation Experience (ACE) are aimed at those interested in starting a career with the National Park Service and other land management agencies.

As an interpretive intern, you’ll:
✅ Provide orientation, information, and informal interpretation at the visitor center desk.
✅Develop and present formal interpretive programs about the park's natural resources and cultural history.
✅ Develop interpretive programs and products about the ice age era human and mammal fossilized footprints found in the park that date back between 21,000 – 23,000 years ago.
✅ Receive professional training in park operations and Certified Interpretive Guide training.
✅ Earn a $600/week stipend, a monthly $500 housing stipend, a one-time payment of up to $1,000 for relocation expenses, and up to $250 for eligible gear purchases.
✅Receive a Public Lands Corps Hiring Authority upon completion of the internship.

📅 Internship Dates: May 4, 2026 – May 1, 2027

To learn more about and apply for the available interpretive internships, visit: https://usaconservation.applicantpool.com/jobs/1278565



Photo credit: NPS photo

12/13/2025