Dr. Diana Stuart, an MSU faculty member in Sociology and at KBS, is leading a project that will study ways to help reduce farm pollution. The project, "A Social-Ecological Analysis of Nitrogen in Agricultural Systems of the Upper Midwest," is being funded by a $1.46 million grant from the National Science Foundation.

The project, which will begin in July, will also include Dr. Bruno Basso, an associate professor in Geology and KBS.

Click here to read MSU Today's recent article about the project.

Phil Robertson, KBS professor of crop and soil sciences, discusses agricultural pests in "LTAR: Critical research for sustainable intensification of our agroecosystems," a recent article in CSA News.

Read the article here.

Dr. Diana Stuart, an MSU faculty member in Sociology and at KBS, is leading a project that will study ways to help reduce farm pollution. The project, "A Social-Ecological Analysis of Nitrogen in Agricultural Systems of the Upper Midwest," is being funded by a $1.46 million grant from the National Science Foundation.

The project, which will begin in July, will also include Dr. Bruno Basso, an associate professor in Geology and KBS.

For more information about this research, please see the article published in the June 7, 2013 issue of State News here.

On May 14^th and 15^th, the special education students at Barry County Intermediate School District returned to Wintergreen Lake for the 8^th year in a row to spend the day fishing! It was a fun-filled day for the students, their families, and all of the volunteers from the Sportsmen’s Outreach Team, Inc., and Kellogg Biological Station who made this day possible!

One of the first fish of the day!

Both days were kicked off by a short presentation about the fish in the lake. We learned how to identify each of the fish species that could be caught and what they like to eat. We also talked about the larger food chain within the lake and how the swans and geese add nutrients to the lake for the smallest microorganisms to utilize. Then it was time to head outdoors!

Touring the Bird Sanctuary

Half of the students went on a tour of the Sanctuary to learn about the birds that live here while the rest of the students started fishing with the volunteers. The Sanctuary’s Wintergreen Lake is not open to the public for fishing, so there were many large bluegill and pumpkinseed to be caught! It didn’t take long at all for each student to catch their limit of fish! The students were then able to select their largest fish to be weighed, measured, and recorded on the Leaderboard.

Weigh Station

When the students started bringing their bucket of fish up to the Breezeway outside the Bookstore for the weigh-in, it was time for the rest of the volunteers to get to work! They spent several hours cleaning fish and preparing them for the fish fry. After every student finished fishing, it was time to eat! We had a delicious picnic of fried fish, hotdogs, and potato chips. Before the students left, the Sportsmen’s Outreach Team, Inc., volunteers screen printed a picture of each student with their biggest catch on a souvenir t-shirt! It was such a fun day for everyone involved, and some of the students told me that they were already looking forward to next year’s event!

It was a beautiful day for fishing!

This is our resident Eastern Screech Owl. Her exact age and personal history is largely unknown, but we do know that the tip of her right wing had to be removed due to an injury. She has learned to compensate for the missing wing tip and can fly a little bit, but her injury prevents her from surviving in the wild. She will remain at the Sanctuary for the rest of her life, and when you visit the Sanctuary, you will likely see her squinting at you from in or on her nest box!

Eastern Screech Owls live in suburban and rural woodlands, so there is a good chance an Eastern Screech Owl has visited your backyard! They can be difficult to spot, though. Eastern Screech Owls are small-only about 8-9 inches tall. They also have great camouflage! Eastern Screech Owls are either gray or red overall with stripes and bars that resemble tree bark. If you relax your eyes and stare at the following picture of the Sanctuary’s Eastern Screech Owl, she looks like an oddly shaped tree branch!

Eastern Screech Owls really utilize their coloring when they are roosting and nesting in the nooks, crannies, and cavities of trees. Check out these photos of Eastern Screech Owls in tree cavities and see how well camouflaged they are! The easiest way to find out if you have Eastern Screech Owls nearby is to go outside at night and listen for their trills and whinnies.

Eastern Screech Owls are classified as opportunistic hunters. This means they will eat almost anything that comes by as long as it is not too big. Eastern Screech Owls hunt from perches and fly down to grab their prey with talons. Usually they hunt for small rodents, but they will also eat insects, songbirds, small reptiles and amphibians, and occasionally fish. During the nesting season, the male provides food for the female and the young owls. The female will also tear the food he delivers into smaller pieces for the young to eat! Just like other raptors, Eastern Screech Owls swallow their food whole. The indigestible materials, such as fur and bones, are regurgitated a few hours later in compact pellets. For more information about raptor pellets, check out this video and pictures on this website!