A student investigates a stream with high-iron content

The Eastern Kentucky Environmental Research Institute, located on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University, promotes environmental research related activities primarily in Eastern and Appalachian Kentucky.

The Eastern Kentucky Environmental Research Institute is committed to developing an interdisciplinary and multi-institutional approach to understanding Eastern Kentucky’s Ecosystems, furthering our understanding of contextual threats to human and environmental health, building community participation to address environmental problems, providing research opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, and contributing to math and science education in the regions K-12 schools.

Students gather for water testing

Making use of a variety of tools, The Eastern Kentucky Environmental Research Institute enhances research using: mobile environmental laboratories, two continuous USGS stage and water quality monitoring stations, on-site lab GIS/RS workstations, a DNA sequencer, AA, an Environmental Quant Lab, and the IDEXX Colisure analysis system.

Community members explore a river simulation.

In addition, the Eastern Kentucky Environmental Research Institute is involved in local projects and events, such as the coordination and sponsorship of the annual campus and community-wide “EKU Earth Days in the Cumberlands” and restoration projects such as Muddy Creek riparian buffer tree planting.