NIC’s Professor of Environmental Science Shows Love for Environment and Community

Sitting atop the lakeside, North Idaho College is surrounded by the natural world. Pine trees shelter the classroom buildings and wildlife peruse the campus from the rose garden to the soccer field. In a place like this, it’s hard not to appreciate the environment that cradles our school. 

Julie VanMiddlesworth, Professor of Environmental Science and Geology at NIC, shares her views on why students should care about the environment. “In general, a lot of environmental problems are long term problems,” she says, “and students should be interested because those issues could very likely affect them throughout their lives.”

 She explains the many ways in which climate change, for example, might affect North Idaho and the people who reside here. Less snow melt, hotter, dryer summers, more intense wildfires, and decreasing fisheries are all among the problems residents of North Idaho could face. 

VanMiddlesworth shared concerns of threats on Lake Coeur d’Alene’s natural ecosystem. Worsening water quality and invasive species have the potential to damage the pristine waters that provide beauty and recreation to much of the community. 

All is not lost, though. VanMiddlesworth says that one of the biggest things students can do to help is have conversations. “Students are, in general, more adept at social media which has a far reaching audience” she says, “and I think our own personal actions can aid environmental issues.”