At Northwestern, students watch climate change through maple trees

By MELINA WALLING
Associated Press

EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — For several years now, students have been tracking sap production of maple trees in a class on maple syrup and climate change, taught by Northwestern instructor Eli Suzukovich III. Students say it’s an exciting opportunity to generate their own data as they pursue sustainability studies. Suzukovich III says the students leave the course with deeper relationships to the trees. His methodology is partly informed by his Indigenous background as a member of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa/Cree. Current and former students say that Suzukovich III’s knowledge is important to their learning and call for more incorporation of indigenous perspectives in climate change curricula.