Burke Center to Continue Operating After Northland Closure
- Burke Center Staff
- Jun 1
- 2 min read
New Nonprofit Burke Center Officially Launches Week of June 2
The Mary Griggs Burke Center for Freshwater Innovation at Northland College—known for its highly influential water science and policy work—will continue its important water-related research in Northwest Wisconsin and beyond, despite the fact that Northland closed its doors at the end of May.
The new Burke Center has a slightly different name: Burke Center for Ecosystem Research, allowing for non-water-related former Northland faculty to join the new center, which is an Ashland-based, stand-alone nonprofit with no affiliation to the closed college.
“We are all deeply, deeply saddened by Northland’s closure,” said Peter Annin, Executive Director of the Burke Center, “But at least we are able to carry on some of the renowned environmental mission that Northland has been known for since the 1970s.”
The rebranded and revitalized nonprofit Burke Center has hired a new cohort of summer field staff that will be fanning out into the waters, wetlands, and woodlands of Northwest Wisconsin to continue a longstanding tradition of stream restoration, water quality monitoring, and algal bloom research in the region.
“The outpouring of support from our federal, state, and nonprofit partners has been truly heartwarming,” added Matt Hudson, the Burke Center’s Associate Director-Great Lakes. “This will allow us to continue our high-profile projects in Lake Superior, Fish Creek, Lake Namekagon, and the Turtle Flambeau Flowage.”
The new center’s office is located in the Ashland Area Development Corporation complex, 422 Third Street West, in Ashland.
“Almost our entire summer staff attended or graduated from Northland, and many are Burke Center alumni,” said Valerie Damstra, the Burke Center’s Associate Director-Operations. “We are absolutely thrilled to have been able to recruit such an outstanding team this summer, despite all the uncertainty surrounding the college.”
After a week of training and orientation, the research team is slated to enter the field during the second week of June, with most field projects wrapping up by the end of summer or early in the fall.
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