Kervin said the grant will fund activities that will cultivate an abiding partnership between 麻豆影院 and CMN, centered on the health and interdependence of the Fox and Wolf rivers.

鈥淚 am excited about the innovations that the grant will make possible, including collaboration between LU鈥檚 environmental studies program and CMN鈥檚 Sustainable Development Institute and experiential learning opportunities that allow students to see what humanistic thinking can offer to real communities,鈥� Kervin said.

The work aims to guide new conversations about the history and future of the Fox and Wolf rivers, including 麻豆影院鈥檚 place and voice in the watershed. Doing so in partnership with the Menominee improves the likelihood that the work will continue well beyond the three-year window of the grant.

The College of Menominee Nation, chartered by the Menominee people, recently marked its 30-year anniversary. As a 1994 Land Grant institution of higher education, it infuses learning with Indigenous culture and prepares students for leadership, careers, and advanced studies, with a particular emphasis on environmental sustainability.

The authors of the Mellon grant proposal pledged to study and teach about environmental justice issues while also seeking paths to greater sustainability in the region. They point to such environmental issues as settlers clearing forests, uprooting prairies, and damming rivers, all of which produced historical and contemporary environmental injustices that have impacted the Menominee; a proposed sulfide mine that the Menominee are fighting over concerns of its impact on the waterway and Menominee heritage sites; and nonpoint source run-off pollution from roads, farms, and lawns that affect the aquatic food chain and water quality of the Fox-Wolf watershed.聽

鈥淎s we expand our environmental justice research and curriculum at 麻豆影院, I think it鈥檚 important to center issues that impact the Menominee Nation,鈥� Col贸n said. 鈥淚ndigenous-centered community building, engagement, and knowledge production will help us grow our Indigenous presence on campus and improve the experiences of Indigenous students, faculty, and staff.鈥�

De Stasio, the聽Dennis and Charlot Nelson Singleton Professor of Biological Sciences and professor of biology, has led these trips since 1996. The most recent excursion, which took 14 students to the western shore of Bonaire during Spring Term 2024, was De Stasio鈥檚 last. He is retiring in June and is handing off leadership of the program to Brian Piasecki, associate professor of biology, who has partnered with him on LUMP since 2014.

De Stasio was a student at 麻豆影院 in 1980 when he was invited to join a Marine Term trip to Grand Cayman.

鈥淭hat really set me on the path of going to graduate school for aquatic studies,鈥� he said.

That path would eventually lead back to 麻豆影院, where De Stasio would join the biology faculty and take over leadership of the program following Richman鈥檚 retirement.

The program, he said, is centered on the premise that students doing research on coral reefs can apply that experience to a range of aquatic systems. That makes the Marine Term work as relevant in the Midwest as it is in the waters of the Caribbean.

鈥淭he challenges are all the same,鈥� De Stasio said. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 matter if you are in Green Bay or Lake Baikal or in the Gulf of Finland or in the coral reefs, an animal in an aquatic environment has to worry about getting eaten by something that is bigger than it. So, those food relationships are really what drive it.鈥�

A course on microbiology and studies of local aquatic ecosystems allow students to investigate the similarities and differences between marine and freshwater environments. That approach has helped 麻豆影院 alumni seamlessly traverse related fields鈥擥retchen Gerrish 鈥�98 is director of the University of Wisconsin鈥檚 Trout Lake Station, a year-round research operation of the school鈥檚 Center for Limnology; Amina Pollard 鈥�95, a limnologist and ecologist, is coordinator of freshwater research at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Devin Burri 鈥�14 is a program analyst at NOAA who received a prestigious 2023 Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship to combine interests in marine science and environmental policy. The list goes on.

Christopher Acy 鈥�15, an aquatic invasive species coordinator with the nonprofit Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, said the Marine Term experience remains relevant as he continues to build a career in applied biology. His current position is a mix of education and field work focused on preventing and/or removing invasive species from the Fox and Wolf rivers in Wisconsin.

鈥淢y job now includes field days where I’m on the waters of northeast Wisconsin documenting invasive species populations and implementing plans to remove invasive species where they become a problem,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 was given the gift during Marine Term of being able to visualize changes to biodiversity over long periods of time. When finding invasive species in Wisconsin, I can visualize how the landscape might change if no action is taken.鈥�

The players change but the constraints of being in a water system are all the same, De Stasio said.

鈥淚鈥檝e always tried to help my students see those similarities,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 matter if you are working on a small lake in Wisconsin or working on a coral reef or in the ocean, those basic principles are the same.鈥�

A draw to 麻豆影院

It is not unusual for students or alumni to point to Marine Term as a deciding factor in attending 麻豆影院.

鈥淭he uniqueness of going to a small liberal arts college where I could study both music and biology while getting hands-on experience in marine biology is unrivaled,鈥� Acy said. 鈥淚’m still in close touch with many of the students in my Marine Term cohort.鈥�

Emma Moya, a junior biology major from Chicago, was one of the 14 麻豆影院 students on the Marine Term trip to Bonaire in the spring. She had come to 麻豆影院 in part because of Marine Term. She called the experience 鈥渋mpactful鈥� and said it solidified her plans to pursue marine biology as a career.

鈥淢arine Term made me more motivated than I was before,鈥� Moya said. 鈥淚t became even more of an obsession of wanting to spend more time in the ocean, wanting to continue research on corals and marine mammals, to pursue outreach while ensuring that communities from all over are involved; that these communities are aware of the power they carry to help our oceans.鈥�

Governed by the Netherlands, Bonaire is one of three islands off the coast of Venezuela called聽the ABC Islands, with nearby Aruba and Cura莽ao.聽This marked the second time Bonaire has been the destination for Marine Term.聽

The first week in Bonaire was focused on gathering data of fish and coral diversity at seven sites. During the second week, students worked in small groups on research projects of their own design. In a twist, the group was accompanied by the Conservatory of Music鈥檚 Jos茅 Encarnaci贸n, associate professor of music and director of jazz studies, who spent the two weeks studying the music of Bonaire and later coordinated a 麻豆影院 University Jazz Band concert in Memorial Chapel that featured both the music of the island and research testimonials from the Marine Term students.

鈥淲e always try to make this trip more holistic,鈥� De Stasio said of the music collaboration. 鈥淲e want our students to understand how the coral reefs are really a part of the society that鈥檚 there.鈥�

Besides Bonaire, LUMP聽students have studied reefs in the Bahamas, Jamaica, and the Cayman Islands.聽Nearly 350 麻豆影院 students have taken part over the past four decades, with De Stasio being at the heart of the program for most of that time.

鈥淥ne of the things that was nurtured during Marine Term and my classes with Bart was a love for education,鈥� Acy said. 鈥淚 really enjoy the 鈥榣ightbulb鈥� moment when I鈥檓 working with all sorts of people, from 8-year-olds to 80-year-olds鈥攖he understanding of how waterways are impacted by invasive species. Seeing someone go from nonchalance to wanting to take action about invasive species or water issues is immensely gratifying.鈥�

Knudsen, whose academic interests include environmental mineralogy and low-temperature geochemistry, has been on the 麻豆影院 faculty since 2003. He received a bachelor鈥檚 degree from Hamilton College and earned his Ph.D. from the University of Idaho.

We caught up with him to talk about interests in and out of the classroom.

In the classroom

Inside info:聽What鈥檚 one thing you want every student coming into your classes to know about you?

I am in constant awe of this incredible planet that we call home. Not only do we reside on, but we are also a fundamental part of Earth. I consider myself incredibly lucky to spend my career striving to better understand Earth and our relationship with it. That I get to share this passion with my students is just awesome.

Getting energized:聽What work have you done or will you be doing at 麻豆影院 that gets you the most excited?

Easy! My study of banded iron formations (BIF) gets me really excited. To start, these are eye-catchingly beautiful rocks with their stripes of steely grays and deep reds. In studying these ancient rocks, I have focused on the stories they tell about the evolution of our atmosphere as oxygen became more prevalent in the air some 2 billion years ago as photosynthetic organisms reshaped our planet. Not only that, but here in Wisconsin, these rocks are preserved as the backbone of the Penokee Hills, remnants of an ancient, massive mountain range that stood as tall as the Alps billions of years ago. To make it even more exciting, these mountains formed as plates collided in an important step in the assembly of our continent. Finally, these rocks, forming a long and tough ridgeline running east-west across northern Wisconsin, impacted the flow of the glaciers more recently (geologically speaking), playing a part in the giant sheets of ice carving out Lake Superior and the landscape of Wisconsin. So, the BIF in Wisconsin connects to the air we breathe, the land below our feet, and the shape of the water in our region. Amazing!聽I carry a small piece of BIF in my pocket to remind me of the amazing stories the rocks can share with us. Perhaps the best part of all, is that I get to take a group of students up to the Penokee Hills each fall to share these incredible stories with them.

Going places:聽Is there an example of somewhere your career has taken you (either a physical space or something more intellectual, emotional, or spiritual) that took you by surprise?

Yes! That place is a sandy beach on the shores of Lake Superior at the mouth of the Bad River, sitting with my class by a fire of driftwood collected on the beach, listening to the stories of Mike Wiggins Jr., a tribal elder and leader of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe. The Bad River (or Mashkiiziibii-Medicine River, in Ojibwe) has its headwaters in the Penokee Hills, then flows to Lake Superior. My students and I visit with Mike the day after we visit the incredible rocks of the Penokee Hills. Mike鈥檚 stories help weave humans into the rich geological and ecological story of this incredible place.

Out of the classroom

This or that:聽If you weren鈥檛 teaching for a living, what would you be doing?聽聽

I would probably be spending as much time in my canoe on some lake up north. But I鈥檇 still be looking at rocks and talking about geology until my family and my dog couldn鈥檛 take it anymore. So, it鈥檚 probably best that I get to teach at 麻豆影院!

Right at home:聽Whether for work, relaxation or reflection, what鈥檚 your favorite spot on campus?

I really enjoy spending time by the river. The flow of the water is calming and centering for me.

One book, one recording, one film:聽Name one of each that speaks to your soul? Or you would recommend to a friend? Or both?

There are so many incredible books. I am going to go with Gathering Moss by Robin Wall-Kimmerer. It is a simply wonderful book about moss, the beautiful and humble places that moss grows, and also her incredible story of being a scientist, indigenous woman, and a mother. Moss, not unlike rocks, is quite beautiful and amazing, but often overlooked, and it asks that you be willing to get down on your hands and knees with a hand lens to your eye to fully appreciate their beauty. Her writing is truly incredible!

Greg Brown is a singer-songwriter from southern Iowa. I love all his works, but he has a live album, The Live One, that is incredible. This recording captures his humor, story-telling, and incredible poetry. His deep and gravely baritone voice paints images of beautiful yet humble landscapes: a trout stream in the U.P., a small, wooded farm in southern Iowa, or the hills of the Driftless region. His lyrics and storytelling get at what it means to be a human in relation with other humans and the land around us. He sings about his grandmother鈥檚 canned goods still having the taste of summer in them, asking her to pass 鈥渟ome more potatoes and a thunderstorm.鈥� I love that imagery.聽

The Rise and Fall of the Great Lakes is a wonderfully campy short film produced by the National Film Board of Canada from 1969. It follows a bearded, flannel-clad traveler as he paddles his wood-canvas canoe through geologic history, comically experiencing the formation of the Great Lakes. What could be more riveting. Add in a delightful square dance tune summarizing the geologic history of the Great Lakes and you have a true classic.

Taylor and Newman concurred that seeing so many people interested in the same topic at the conference was eye-opening as they consider career paths in the sciences. It was an opportunity to network and learn more about the field from the numerous graduate students and post-secondary faculty who attended the conference.

Presenting as researchers was also a huge confidence booster.

鈥淚t鈥檚 easy to forget we鈥檙e scientists,鈥� Taylor said. 鈥淕oing to AGU helped us realize we are doing science, we are doing experiments, and have been for a very long time. We absolutely have the skills to consider ourselves scientists.鈥�

In addition to the AGU conference, the duo鈥檚 research has been presented at a LURF gathering and the Mid-states Research Consortium. Newman and Taylor said the other conferences gave them confidence going into the AGU conference, and Ribbons provided valuable feedback.

鈥淚 love the geoscience faculty,鈥� Taylor said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e a smaller department, but they鈥檙e very supportive. I鈥檝e interacted with all of them in some way.鈥�

Newman agreed: 鈥淭hey care about seeing you do well, even outside of being a student.鈥�

Ribbons said the students were meticulous in developing and executing their research procedures.

鈥淢adeline and Amber were consistently hard-working students and together we worked on getting these hydroponics set-ups consistently producing microgreens,鈥� Ribbons said.

The research began by repurposing an existing PVC-pipe system, and then growing the project to include other hydroponic set-ups. They tracked the growth of the plants for a number of weeks, and then took DNA samples by scraping the film off the plants鈥� roots. They performed a process called qPCR, or quantitative polymerase chain reactions, which quantified the number of bacteria and fungi in the samples. The isolated DNA was then sent to UW-Madison, where it is being sequenced to identify the precise species of microbes the plants carry. The next step in their research will be to perform statistical analysis of the results to determine if the microbial composition is significant or simply by chance.

By exploring the microbial makeup of these microgreens, Taylor and Newman are hoping to identify plants with high levels of nitrifying bacteria, which are bacteria that turn ammonia into nitrate for energy.

鈥淏acteria like that is really beneficial for plant growth,鈥� Taylor said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of hope that the next big thing in agriculture will be bio-fertilizers, instead of harmful chemical fertilizers.鈥�

Taylor and Newman are hopeful their research will help build a strong foundation of knowledge that will lead to effective and widespread bio-fertilizers.

鈥淭he environment and nature have always been at the forefront of my life,鈥� Newman said. 鈥淏eing able to go to school and study both music and environmental science, which are two of my core values, is really cool.鈥�

Taylor said she initially planned to be an English major. She said , the Walter Schober Professor of Environmental Studies and professor of geosciences and author of Reading the Rocks:聽The Autobiography of the Earth; Timefulness: How Thinking Like a Geologist Can Help Save the World;聽and聽Geopedia: A Brief Compendium of Geologic Curiosities, inspired her to explore the sciences.

鈥淚 took an environmental science class and realized it wasn鈥檛 that I didn鈥檛 like science or was bad at science, I just wasn鈥檛 experiencing it in the right way,鈥� she said.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of research on the migration patterns that Daphnia do鈥ut there aren鈥檛 a lot of studies done on what sizes of Daphnia are at what depth,鈥� Meng said.

Size affects their visibility to predators, and that became a focus of their research project.

Along with studying Daphnia sizes, the project has a side objective, which is where Gerrish comes in. A specialist in underwater videography (it got her featured in David Attenborough鈥檚 2016 documentary, Life That Glows), she and the team are testing new recording technologies that could revolutionize zooplankton research.

鈥淪he鈥檚 awesome,鈥� Lavajo said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 very fun to work with, she鈥檚 got a great personality and is always willing to help you in whatever you need, and she does a lot on station being both the field station director and working on projects with us.鈥�

These connections with alumni and other scientists are one of Meng and Lavajo鈥檚 favorite parts of working at the station. Speaking with graduate students around the station or at seminars allows them to learn what their own experiences as graduates might be like.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a really good community on station, which is really nice,鈥� Meng said. 鈥淎 lot of people will hang out in cabins, or we have something called Pizza Sundays where one of the grad students will make everyone homemade pizza.鈥�

They also love the natural beauty and lack of light pollution. Originally from Denver, this was Meng鈥檚 first time hearing the classic loon calls of the Northwoods.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e just fully out in nature, basically, and surrounded by woods鈥omeone out here saw the northern lights last night,鈥� Meng said.

Trout Lake Station is state and University of Wisconsin-funded. It’s located at the 3,800-acre Trout Lake in far northern Wisconsin, about 180 miles north and west of Appleton.聽Meng and De Stasio said with Gerrish in charge, they鈥檙e hoping the station鈥檚 ties with 麻豆影院 grow even stronger in the future.

鈥淚 know Reese and I now have connections up here that鈥檒l last for a long time, both with the permanent staff like Gretchen and with the other interns who are up here鈥hey might even have professors with other connections for you,鈥� Meng said.

鈥淎ll very intertwined鈥�

麻豆影院鈥檚 involvement at Trout Lake began with De Stasio鈥檚 predecessor, Sumner Richman, who took his students there every fall. De Stasio continues this tradition. He said it鈥檚 important to research how climate change and human development affect food webs.

De Stasio said artificial lights from development around water might confuse zooplankton and keep them from migrating for food. Daphnia not eating algae means too little food for their predators and too much algae, which inhibits a lake鈥檚 oxygen supply and changes the entire ecosystem.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a beast of a project to try and look at a whole ecosystem, but I think of it like I鈥檓 one gear in the clockwork that鈥檚 helping us understand large-scale issues in how we, as humans, and also other animals, affect each other, and so we鈥檙e all very intertwined,鈥� Lavajo said.

Lavajo and Meng鈥檚 paths intertwined thanks to their interest in Marine Term. They took De Stasio鈥檚 prerequisite Aquatic Ecology course and went on the Marine Term trip to Bonaire together. Aquatic Ecology introduced them to Daphnia and inspired them to apply for this experience as well.

Originally from the Chicago area, Lavajo said they鈥檝e always had an interest in biology and made it their major, with a focus on aquatic sciences and an environmental studies minor. They want to go into environmental consulting.

Meng applied because she was interested in working with De Stasio further and increasing her camera skills after her Marine Term trip to Bonaire. She also came to love Daphnia after Aquatic Ecology.

鈥淭hey take in food with their little legs鈥hey鈥檙e just very cute,鈥� Meng said.

Read about Meng and Lavajo鈥檚 Marine Term trip to Bonaire

The experience has been highly educational for both students. Meng said she learned how to drive a boat, improve her microscope skills, collect samples, get into a research mode, self-pace, build confidence to lead her own projects and experiments, and approach new people about her ideas. Lavajo said they learned a lot about life in temporary ponds and ecological domino effects like Daphnia not eating algae. Videography was new for both.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been a rocky ride, especially with the pandemic鈥ut going back on campus this past year鈥� my junior year鈥攚as really fun and I was a lot more involved鈥 think my experiences at 麻豆影院 have shaped me pretty well,鈥� said Lavajo.

The Lawrentians are also sharing their light of knowledge with others: Trout Lake held an open house where the public鈥攎any of whom Lavajo said were from Appleton鈥攃ould visit, look under microscopes, and hear about the research.

Lavajo said another team studying wild rice is working with a local Indigenous community. They said they liked how this interaction helps bring Indigenous perspectives into science.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really heartwarming to see people connect together, even though we鈥檙e in different places,鈥� they said.

The experience is ending, but De Stasio plans on continue the project. His sabbatical this fall will involve working with colleagues at Cornell University on advanced analysis technologies. The ultimate goal is a fully-automated system for this type of research. Meng and Lavajo鈥檚 data will help train the technology.

鈥淲e鈥檒l have some publications coming out about this鈥攐ne certainly on the technique side of it, one on the modeling side of it, and another one hopefully on the differences among the lakes that we鈥檙e going to be sampling,鈥� De Stasio said.

Students interested in Trout Lake or other summer research opportunities can browse 麻豆影院鈥檚 Student Research page. Meng and Lavajo said the online application was simple, but they had to be proficient at identifying zooplankton for this experience.

鈥淭ake advantage of how small 麻豆影院 is,鈥� Lavajo said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e able to form closer relationships with your instructors and other staff members, and see what might interest you. Don鈥檛 be afraid to dip your toes into different fields as well.鈥�

Meng and Lavajo said talking directly with instructors about the experiences was helpful as well. Meng said students interested in aquatic biology like her and Lavajo should contact De Stasio, as he knows the most about aquatics at 麻豆影院 and would be happy to discuss it with others.

鈥淭here are quite a few grad students who need workers during the summer,鈥� Meng said.

Coming at a time when climate change crises are heightening the urgency in understanding the earth, Geopedia adds to an impressive volume of work from Bjornerud that makes her a sought-after voice in geology, tectonics, and related areas of study. It doesn鈥檛 come with the scope or weight of her critically lauded 2019 book, , also from Princeton University Press, but it offers yet another opportunity for readers to better understand the planet鈥攊ts history and its future.

With a mix of wit and insight, the book delves into interesting and evocative geologic terms used to describe everything from rock formations to the study of geologic time. With each entry, Bjornerud weaves an essay that is both fun and informative, creating a travel companion of sorts for anyone wanting to explore the planet. Princeton University Press describes its pocket-sized Pedia Series as 鈥渆ncyclopedic in nature and miniature in form.鈥�

A frequent contributing writer to The New Yorker, Wall Street Journal, and other publications and a popular guest on podcasts, Bjornerud began writing Geopedia during the first year of the Covid pandemic. It was a bit of an escape at a time when everything had gone remote, she said, and it was another chance to make the geosciences more accessible.

鈥淚鈥檓 a collector of words and have always been interested in etymologies鈥攊nteresting words with interesting stories behind them that collectively could tell a bigger story,鈥� Bjornerud said. 鈥淵ou can either treat it as a chocolate box where you open it randomly and pick out one and take a bite; or if you do actually read the whole book, and it doesn鈥檛 have to be read in any order, I think you鈥檒l come away with some sense of the intellectual experience of the geosciences. And a fair amount of geology, too.鈥�

鈥淭he geosciences had and still has this musty old reputation, and as a consequence almost nobody who lives on Earth knows anything about the way the planet works.鈥�
– Marcia Bjornerud

Bjornerud, the Walter Schober Professor of Environmental Studies and professor of geology, has been teaching at 麻豆影院 since 1995. Her 2005 book, Reading the Rocks: The Autobiography of the Earth, and 2019鈥檚 Timefulness drew wide praise. Timefulness, which puts a fresh focus on the relationship between humans and natural history, was named to the 2019 Phi Beta Kappa Awards Short List and was selected as a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize in Science and Technology.

Bjornerud, who said she frequently hears from colleagues at other institutions who use her books in their teaching, is the founding director of 麻豆影院鈥檚 degree-granting program in environmental studies and played a key role in the creation of the environmental science major.

She said she鈥檚 buoyed by the growing number of people interested in a deeper understanding of natural history and what it can tell us about the perilous days ahead. Feedback from her books and her essays tell her there鈥檚 a hunger for that, even as many of the world鈥檚 leaders fail to respond to the urgency. Her writing has earned her frequent invitations over the past three years to be a guest on podcasts that typically don鈥檛 focus on science鈥攅verything from psychology to history to philosophy.

鈥淚鈥檓 writing because I think we urgently need a re-conception of our relationship with the natural world,鈥� Bjornerud said.

There was a time in the early to mid-19th century when the geosciences were revered. But that fell off for more than a century, and while physics and chemistry ascended, geology and related studies took a back seat, often viewed as less rigorous and unworthy of intellectual investment, Bjornerud said. That has been particularly damaging at the high school level. It鈥檚 changing now amid the growing climate crises, but the damage has been done.

鈥淭he geosciences had and still has this musty old reputation, and as a consequence almost nobody who lives on Earth knows anything about the way the planet works,鈥� Bjornerud said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not in high school curricula in any rigorous way, and that sends a strong message to smart students that, oh, this is not a sophisticated science, it doesn鈥檛 require rigor or understanding. The consequences of that are being seen in crises all around us. We are just rampantly illiterate.鈥�

Bjornerud hopes her writing, including the newly released Geopedia, and her teaching can play a role in improving that literacy. Like many of the students she sees today, she came to college with little understanding of what natural history can teach us. An intro geoscience class at the University of Minnesota lit a fire and started her on her path.

鈥淭hese are not new insights, but delving into some of this vocabulary, I am reminded of how geology got this wonderful early start when people first realized how old the earth was and began to codify how to decipher the rock record,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd then for a variety of reasons, the discipline just kind of stumbled and got stuck.鈥�

But she sees a heightened passion in 麻豆影院 students who are studying geosciences, environmental studies, environmental science. Her writing, including in Geopedia, reflects that.

鈥淐limate change motivates my own work鈥攖rying to unshackle the geosciences from this reputation,鈥� Bjornerud said. 鈥淭he geosciences are now in a new golden age. I try to convey that in this little book.鈥�

As the days slide by in May and the grass grows above his shoe tops, Israel Del Toro is all smiles.

In between fielding calls from the New York Times, National Public Radio, PBS Wisconsin,聽The Post-Crescent, and countless other media outlets across the country, the assistant professor of biology at 麻豆影院 University finds himself thinking back to that day nearly four years ago when he first approached a member of Appleton鈥檚 Common Council with a wild idea鈥攚hat if we make Appleton ground zero for a No Mow May experiment?

The idea, based on a bee conservation initiative first tried in England, called for Appleton homeowners to voluntarily leave their lawnmowers in the garage through the month of May, allowing the grass and weeds of spring to grow long, becoming a haven for bees and other pollinators.

The initial reaction from the alderperson?

鈥淗e thought it was crazy,鈥� Del Toro said. 鈥淗e thought it would drive people insane, and he wasn鈥檛 wrong.鈥�

But the alderperson initially bought in, and Del Toro鈥檚 efforts to push the idea through city hall began.

鈥淭here was a lot of initial hesitance,鈥� Del Toro said, 鈥渁 lot of push back, people saying, 鈥榊ou know, this doesn鈥檛 seem like something we want to do. It鈥檚 going to make the city look trashy, it鈥檚 going to fill our city with pests and rodents and all sorts of vermin.鈥� We said, 鈥榃ell, there鈥檚 only one way to find out; let鈥檚 just do the experiment.鈥欌��

鈥淭he no-mow component is great. But we鈥檙e also trying to use this platform to educate people about other pollinator-friendly practices.鈥�
– Israel Del Toro, assistant professor of biology

The council agreed鈥攅ventually鈥攁nd No Mow May was launched in Appleton in May 2020, with about 450 brave homeowners signing up.

Del Toro, along with Assistant Professor of Geosciences Relena Ribbons and a half dozen 麻豆影院 students working in his lab, studied it along the way, gathering and processing data on bee and other pollinator activity in those yards.

鈥淲e found there were no apocalyptic consequences,鈥� Del Toro said. 鈥淭he city did not implode; we were not overrun with rats and vermin. Then it was, OK, cool, we now had a measurable effect on pollinators. Let鈥檚 keep going with it.鈥�

By the second year, 2,500 homeowners in 10 Wisconsin communities signed up, and Del Toro鈥檚 data was producing tangible results.

鈥淲hat we鈥檙e finding is that No Mow May lawns compared to mowed lawns actually not only increased pollinator abundance but increased overall insect abundance as much as ten-fold,鈥� Del Toro said. 鈥淲hat we鈥檙e seeing there is that the base鈥攖he food web base鈥攊s growing. Yes, it might be a little scary to say all these insects are coming back, but that鈥檚 actually a really good thing. Insects form the base for feeding birds, for example. Or doing other pollinating tasks. It鈥檚 not just bees that pollinate, but also flies, beetles, wasps. Those guys also are pollinators and they鈥檙e coming back with No Mow May.鈥�

That鈥檚 a message that鈥檚 resonating. Appleton now has upwards of 900 homeowners signed up in year 3, and the number nationwide is nearing 5,000 as interest spreads. Del Toro believes more than 35 communities across the country鈥攎ostly in the Midwest鈥攈ave now waived ordinances for May that require homeowners to keep their lawns under 8 inches in length.

That has made Del Toro, Ribbons, and the students in 麻豆影院鈥檚 pollinator lab very busy this spring. Del Toro has fielded media calls from all over the country, with No Mow May being prominently featured on NPR, in the New York Times, Star Tribune in Minneapolis, Sierra magazine, and on the blog authored by longtime television news icon Dan Rather, among others.

鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting but it鈥檚 also nerve-wracking, trying to make sure everybody is following the same protocols,鈥� Del Toro said. 鈥淭he no-mow component is great. But we鈥檙e also trying to use this platform to educate people about other pollinator-friendly practices.鈥�

Appleton Mayor Jake Woodford 鈥�13, an assistant to the president at 麻豆影院 before being elected mayor in 2020, told NPR the city has taken pride in being at the center of the pollinator-friendly movement. The Common Council recently took the No Mow May initiative鈥攕uspending enforcement of the 8-inch-height ordinance during May鈥攆rom a trial basis in 2020 and 2021 to a permanent fixture going forward.

鈥淚t has not been without its hiccups or its frustrations from some community members,鈥� Woodford told NPR. 鈥淏ut by and large, there鈥檚 just been incredible support for the effort, a lot of buy-in, a lot of participation.鈥�

On the 麻豆影院 campus, grass is being allowed to grow long during May in areas in which events are not being held. That includes the Memorial Hall hill just north of the SLUG garden,聽the wooded area near Alexander Gym and the grassy area near the track. Elsewhere on campus there are multiple bee houses in place, and there鈥檚 an active apiary managed by Del Toro and his students. 麻豆影院 is recognized as a bee-friendly campus by Bee City USA, an initiative of Xerces Society.

A learning opportunity

The research taking place is giving 麻豆影院 students real-time opportunities to study pollinator activity and crunch data.

鈥淲e really went into this with no expectations,鈥� said Del Toro, a member of the biology faculty since 2016. 鈥淲e just let the data speak for itself. And that was my goal as a data scientist. Run an experiment and let the data tell the story. And so far, the story is pretty positive for pollinators and pollinator conservation.鈥�

The students in the lab鈥攖hree seniors and four first-years or sophomores鈥攁re doing outreach with participating homeowners and collecting data. Some are also using No Mow May to do individual research projects.

鈥淚t provides a very practical hands-on activity for students to actually go out there and measure ecological diversity and get involved in active research,鈥� Del Toro said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very real data, a real ecological experiment that has become available to students.鈥�

That data has shown, among other things, that No Mow May lawns had five times the number of bees and three times the bee species than neighboring lawns that were mowed during May. It’s a lifeline for pollinators.聽

Dylan McMurray, a senior neuroscience major from Chicago, has been part of Del Toro鈥檚 lab for two years. The data collection, he said, has been fascinating.聽

鈥淭he ugly truth we need to come to is, bees are dying in our world and we need to do more to save them,鈥� he said.

McMurray was able to incorporate the No Mow May research into his senior capstone and honors thesis.

鈥淓ven as a neuroscience major, I was able to take this massive project and make it something of my own,鈥� he said.

鈥淢ajoring in biology has always been a goal of mine, but little did I know it would help me find my passion in botany and entomology.”
– Bella Goland, a sophomore doing research as part of 麻豆影院’s pollinator lab

Bella Goland, a sophomore biology student from Winneconne, is among the group of younger 麻豆影院 students stepping up to move the bee research forward. She鈥檒l work this summer as the apiary director, leading efforts to keep a handful of hives on and off campus thriving.

鈥淵es, this means I get to put on a bee suit and do all the heavy lifting and keep track of the hives鈥� health,鈥� she said.

She鈥檒l also be working on a physiology project in the lab, doing thermotolerance testing on honeybees, and collecting data from citizen participants in No Mow May.

鈥淢ajoring in biology has always been a goal of mine,鈥� Goland said, 鈥渂ut little did I know it would help me find my passion in botany and entomology. This work is something I am very excited to be doing and something I see myself expanding on in the future. The importance of bees as part of our ecosystem is crucial to human existence; if the bees go extinct, so do we.鈥�

Growth in bee research

The bee research being led by Del Toro has expanded into other areas, some of it tied to climate change. In the fall of 2021, he received a six-figure national grant to supersize research in his lab, investigating the varied reasons that bees are good pollinators. He and his team are collaborating with colleagues at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, using microtomography (microCT) technology to take a closer look at the inner workings of bees.

It all rolls into research that supports Del Toro鈥檚 ongoing advocacy of pollinator health. That includes No Mow May, which is having a moment in the sun this spring.

鈥淎ppleton鈥檚 No Mow May initiative had a clear purpose: to save the bees鈥攁nd not just honeybees (which are European imports), but also native bees, such as bumble bees, mining bees and sweat bees,鈥� The New York Times wrote. 鈥淏ees are facing catastrophic declines. In North America, nearly one in four native bee species is imperiled, according to the Center for Biological Diversity, partly because of habitat loss, pesticide use, climate change and urbanization.鈥�

Del Toro spent so much time advocating for No Mow May in Appleton鈥檚 city hall the past few years, he began thinking of other ways he could be involved in the community. That led him to run for an open seat on the Common Council earlier this year. He was elected to the District 4 seat in April, his first foray into public office.

That, too, makes him smile as he thinks back to that initial conversation when he first pitched No Mow May. 鈥淚 figured I鈥檓 already doing this work, I may as well jump in with both feet,鈥� he said.

鈥淭he idea is to really be explicit and deliberate about the reflection piece of this,鈥� Brozek said of the cohort structure built into the internship program. 鈥淥ne of the things I鈥檝e learned is how important it is to not just hope students will reflect on their experience but to specifically and deliberately guide them through that process and give them space to do it, prompt them to do it.鈥�

This is work that is often emotional and potentially life-changing. Being able to talk about it, process it, hear others鈥� experiences, can be educational and therapeutic at the same time.

鈥淭hat process of reflection, I think that鈥檚 where the real impact and transformation of these experiences comes from,鈥� Brozek said.

To date, more than $350,000 has been raised to support the Social & Environmental Justice Cohort program, with a goal of $1 million to grow it into an ongoing staple of the 麻豆影院 summer.

The program came together quickly after an anonymous donor, moved by the activism that followed the murder of George Floyd, sought to fund internships that would aid community organizations, give students an avenue into social and environmental justice work, and allow those students to share their experiences with one another in a collaborative learning environment.

The program provides a stipend for the students, who are working for nonprofits that in many cases couldn鈥檛 otherwise afford interns.

鈥淔or me, that鈥檚 a really critical part of the program because it means these experiences are more accessible and equitable, and available to a wider range of students,鈥� Brozek said.

Mandy Netzel, assistant director of career services in 麻豆影院鈥檚 Career Center, went to work connecting with nonprofits in the Milwaukee region to set the scope of the internship program. Meanwhile, Cassie Curry, director of major and planned giving for 麻豆影院, set out to raise the monies needed to financially support the program as an annual endeavor.

Brozek came on board as the faculty advisor. He鈥檚 meeting weekly with the students via Zoom, a nod to the barriers still being posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The hope is that those meetings will be in person by next summer, as will all of the internships.

It all came together in a matter of a few months. The early momentum suggests this is a program that will continue to thrive, perhaps growing in the number of participating students and organizations, possibly expanding at some point to other regions.

鈥淲e really have a chance to not just make it a great experience for the 12 students who are doing it this summer but to really build something that is distinctive for 麻豆影院 and to keep it going,鈥� Brozek said.

Some of the students are doing social media and communications work for their organizations. Others are working with young people or families in schools or shelters. All of the organizations are located in the Milwaukee metro area with the exception of Pillars, of Appleton. The list includes Pathfinders, Milwaukee Riverkeeper, a Milwaukee aldermanic office, Bay Bridge, Legal Action Wisconsin, Center for Urban Teaching, Blue Lotus, and Walker鈥檚 Point.

鈥淪pending time doing this justice work can be really draining,鈥� Brozek said. 鈥淗ow do you make this kind of work sustainable? Not just sustainable for the organization, but personally as well? We鈥檙e talking about that and they鈥檙e learning from each other, and really supporting each other and being impressed with each other. I鈥檝e really loved that part of it.鈥�

For Ben DePasquale 鈥�22, joining the team at Milwaukee Riverkeeper gave him a chance to gain valuable experience in environmental advocacy and politics. He鈥檚 working on website content, social media, surveys, and focus group questions alongside the organization鈥檚 communications manager. He鈥檚 learning about reader engagement, targeting particular audiences, and the power of clarity.

鈥淧olitics is local, yet the greatest environmental threat of our lifetime, climate change, is global,鈥� DePasquale said. 鈥淚 wanted to be part of this organization because I saw an opportunity to craft narratives around environmental issues that might appeal to people who may not always see the bigger picture.鈥�

Netzel said the response from partner organizations鈥攕ome with alumni connections鈥攁nd students has been 鈥渙verwhelmingly positive鈥� in the pilot year.

鈥淭he pace at which we were able to pull it all together indicates a need and desire in the community for social and environmental justice work, and Lawrentians are interested and ready to rise in serving that need,鈥� she said.

Sarah Gettel 鈥�14, one of the leaders of Bay Bridge, said the fit has been ideal, with two 麻豆影院 students, Kadambari and Sierra Johnson 鈥�22, doing important advocacy work.

鈥淩ight from the start, Adya and Sierra jumped into the storm of moving projects and pieces,鈥� Gettel said. 鈥淭hey asked excellent questions, raised ideas, and brought their creativity and intentionality to every project. Their support has been an incredible help to us at Bay Bridge and has helped us to build our supportive infrastructure to invite more people in our community into this work, from designing a volunteer orientation, to creating eye-catching event posters, to extending our social media reach, to facilitating a book discussion, to helping us work on a communications strategy to help connect systemic justice and equity to people鈥檚 values and lived experiences.鈥�

Curry said a gift from a second donor that followed the initial gift has put 麻豆影院 in position to fund the program for at least the next five years, providing time to secure financial support that will hopefully feed an endowment that鈥檒l make the program ongoing.

鈥淭he donors want to ensure that 麻豆影院 students can share what they are learning for the betterment of society, while at the same time growing and learning themselves through the process,鈥� Curry said. 鈥淭hat was part of their motivation for a cohort model and faculty involvement.鈥�