Articles

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New Gambrell Faculty Fellows Address Critical Community Questions
   September 14, 2023

Hannah Lang

How could community help us weather the impact of climate change? How might Charlotte’s ever-evolving housing market impact local schools? What does it mean to truly mend the harms of systemic racism?

Those are just a few of the...

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What feeds the pollinators feeds us
   September 13, 2023
Ruth Ann Grissom

A concrete walkway bisects my small front yard.  I grow herbs and vegetables on one side and an assortment of native grasses and perennials on the other.  In my mind, they’ve always been two distinct entities.  One side feeds us, and...

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The haunted history of reclaiming a floodplain
   August 24, 2023
Ruth Ann Grissom

Chantilly Ecological Sanctuary, informally known as Chantilly Eco-Park, is an oasis in East Charlotte, a part of the county underserved by green space.  Hugging a section of Briar Creek, its roughly 24 acres support lush wetlands,...

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Prevent gun violence in Charlotte by investing in under-resourced communities
   August 24, 2023
Rachel Jackson-Gordon, Ph.D.

When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up? 

For me, the answer usually rotated between some sort of doctor or a writer. ...

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How to Humanize your data: A Domestic Violence Survivors Guide

Data are an important part of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg ecosystem. When decisions hang in the balance regarding funding, policies, or programs, data can tip the scales. Conversations about data are frequently dominated by data...

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Surveys, Counts and Blitzes
   July 27, 2023
Ruth Ann Grissom

Concerns about an “insect apocalypse” have grown more widespread in recent years.  There’s a sense among scientists – and the general public – that we simply aren’t seeing as many insects as we used to.  I remember driving through the...

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Exploring and Discovering Charlotte
   June 28, 2023

In a city there are so many things, incremental changes and dynamic moments, it is impossible to see it all... there’s always more to discover. Discovery, for some, is an art. It is the willingness to try something new, choosing to make the uncomfortability of newness the norm. 
 
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When Rabbits Decide
   June 28, 2023
Ruth Ann Grissom

We gardeners are always striving for an ideal vision, the moment when our creations will finally reach their full, mature potential. And we foolishly assume that once they’ve attained it, they’ll then remain in that state of perfection. But gardens aren’t...

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'No Mow May' Is Catchy But Is It a Good Thing?
   May 23, 2023
Ruth Ann Grissom

At first glance, ‘No Mow May’ seems like a winning idea to encourage people to delay their first mowing of the season so early spring flowers in the lawn will be available for pollinators. While I appreciate any approach to helping wildlife that requires...

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