Morven Team
Supporting long-term sustainability research through nitrogen footprint analysis, watershed monitoring, and regenerative land management at the University of Virginia's Morven Sustainability Lab.
About the Morven Team
The Nitrogen Working Group (NWG) is a student-faculty research group at the University of Virginia that works to measure and understand nitrogen dynamics through research, analytical tools, and community engagement. As part of both the Office for Sustainability and the Morven Sustainability Lab, the Morven Team conducts interdisciplinary field research that supports sustainable land management and environmental decision-making.
Through long-term monitoring, footprint analyses, and ecosystem research, the team investigates how land-use practices influence nitrogen cycling, carbon storage, water quality, and overall ecosystem health across the Morven property.
| 🌿 Nitrogen & Carbon Footprint AssessmentThe Morven Team calculates the property's nitrogen and carbon footprints to better understand the environmental impacts associated with transportation, fertilizer application, food purchasing, and energy use. Recent analyses have highlighted fertilizer application and food purchasing as important contributors to Morven's nitrogen footprint, helping guide future sustainability strategies. The team also collaborates with Morven event staff to identify lower-nitrogen-footprint catering options and evaluate opportunities to reduce emissions associated with campus events. |
💧 Stream Water Sampling & AnalysisSince Summer 2023, the Morven Team has conducted quarterly water sampling across eighteen monitoring locations throughout the property. These measurements help track changes in nitrate concentrations and improve understanding of how fertilizer application, forest management, and other land-use changes influence stream water quality. The team plans to continue long-term monitoring while collaborating with other Morven researchers to better understand watershed processes across the property. |
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| 🐄 Regenerative Grazing & Land-Use Change ResearchThe Morven Team studies how regenerative land management practices influence nutrient cycling and ecosystem health. Current work includes developing a cattle nitrogen budget framework to better understand nitrogen flows associated with the introduction of grazing cattle on the property. Researchers also collaborate with the Morven Kitchen Garden to measure soil carbon and nitrogen across garden beds, helping identify trends in soil health that support future growing practices. |
Current Projects
The Morven Team continues expanding long-term environmental monitoring through collaborative research projects across the property.
- Conduct quarterly stream water sampling across 18 monitoring locations.
- Evaluate Morven's nitrogen and carbon footprints.
- Develop a cattle nitrogen budget framework for regenerative grazing.
- Measure soil carbon and nitrogen within the Morven Kitchen Garden.
- Support long-term environmental datasets that guide sustainable land management.
Looking Ahead
As research at Morven continues to expand, the Morven Team will build upon long-term monitoring efforts to better understand how sustainable land management influences nitrogen cycling, water quality, soil health, and ecosystem resilience. By combining footprint assessments with field-based research, the team provides scientific information that helps guide future sustainability decisions at Morven and across the University of Virginia.