Their research topics have included wetland legislation, plastic pollution, and data centers. A team of students from SPN work on each project, producing a white paper and any other requested deliverable along with a presentation, and have presented their findings to Save the Dunes at the end of the semester for the last 3 semesters. SPN serves as a key network and a pipeline into the world of public policy for Notre Dame students. Since fall 2020, they have hosted more than 60 projects with more than 40 partner organizations. The technical information shared in their articles, along with the presentations addressing various environmental issues, have been highly valuable to our organization and our policy partners in Indianapolis. This information supports our efforts during statehouse sessions by offering policy recommendations and outlining next steps that Hoosier advocacy organizations can prioritize. 

We believe their passion and work ethic is an echo of the local and federal grassroots efforts made by Dorothy Buell when she began Save The Dunes by educating legislators and groups involved in the pressing matters of climate resilience and protecting the environment. 

You can learn more about the group on SPN’s official page on the University of Notre Dame website. https://spnclub.nd.edu/

Check out their thank you message in the video below!