W.K. Kellogg Biological Station

Learn about seed dispersal, enjoy a cash bar, free desserts, visit informational booths all at our FREE Dessert with Discussion event, Nov. 6. Doors open at 6:30. Register today!

Andrew in plaid in front of dried switchgrass.

Tied up switchgrass in front of trees turning colors for fall.

Jason pushing a sicklebar mower through tied switchgrass.

A trailer loaded with tied and cut switchgrass.

The great switchgrass harvest of 2025 has begun at @kelloggbiostn.bsky.social.

The functional groups of prairie strip people - LTER Prairie strips bring not only plant diversity to croplands, but many groups of people too. Rachel Drobnak introduces the human side of prairie research at Kellogg Biological Station LTER.

Check out this awesome blog for the @uslter.bsky.social, written by our very own Rachel Drobnak @dirtylittleworms.bsky.social. Rachel shares stories about the research and outreach surrounding prairie strips done at @kelloggbiostn.bsky.social!

lternet.edu/stories/the-...

The Flattail Creek table is loaded with wood carvings at a past Arts and Eats Tour at the W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary.

The annual Arts and Eats tour is this weekend! And once again, the W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary is a central venue, hosting seven artists Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 18-19, the Kids Makers Market on Saturday, and the usual avian crew, of course. More info: bit.ly/3J8BYCr

Now out in the September issue of @journal-evo.bsky.social!

- Pop-level thresholds between male/female development (Tpiv) correlate with mean incubation temps among species, but temp variability within species

- Threshold variation within pops (TRT) is more complex and confounded by study design

Dr. Jenkins sits down with Drs. Eric Hileman and Meaghan Clark for an in-depth look at the Eastern Massasauga. Their studies reveal concerning levels of inbreeding, which are linked to reduced survival and lower breeding rates.

Spartan scientists contribute to global examination of pollinator habitat MSU Entomology professor and former graduate student collaborate with team of 80 researchers to examine global pollinator landscape needs

MSU Entomology professor Dr. Rufus Isaacs and former graduate student Dr. Gabriela Quinlan collaborated with a team of 80 researchers on a global study examining pollinator habitat needs in agricultural landscapes!

Read more: www.canr.msu.edu/news/spartan...

#Entomology #Ecology #Conservation 🧪🌎🍁

Fall bird migration is in full swing First Alert meteorologist Justin Bradford meets with an expert to discuss the bird migration across Michigan this fall.

Kellogg Bird Sanctuary Manager Lisa Duke was recently interviewed about fall bird migration. Read on ⬇️

In Michigan, the final generation of Monarch butterflies are beginning their migration south to spend the winter in California, Florida or Mexico. Many are stopping by the @kbslter.bsky.social for resting and feeding along their journey! [Photo credit: Jamie Smith]

Metallic green sweat bee visiting wild radish flower

Excited to announce our new paper "Testing adaptive hypotheses for an evolutionarily conserved trait
through slow-motion videos of pollinators", published in Royal Society Open Science: doi.org/10.1098/rsos.251127. Thanks to co-authors Sally Song, Nicholas Bhandari, & @jeffreyconner.bsky.social!

MSU must-dos A list of must-do Spartan experiences

Visiting the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary is something every Spartan (and non-Spartan!) should do.

A trip to the Sanctuary was included in the MSU Must-dos list. Read the 50 experiences picked to represent being a Spartan:

Satellites and Drones Are Unlocking Benefits ‘Hidden in Plain Sight’ in Michigan

Millions of currently farmed acres hold opportunities for biodiversity conservation that are hidden in plain sight!

Cover image of a New York Times story titled, "Satellites and drones are unlocking benefits 'hidden in plain sight' in Michigan," showing a drone flying over an agricultural field.

“If I can do something that creates better yield and costs me less, and, oh, by the way, it has an environmental potential benefit, why not?”

Read about how research by KBS and MSU scientist Bruno Basso is being applied with success on Michigan farmlands: nyti.ms/46i3dU2

Opinion | How to Count Butterflies

Great story! Learning to identify butterflies is in reach. Counts by thousands of people make up the best long term data 🦋 And there are practical means to forestall rapid butterfly decline. Thank you @margaretrenkl

MSU team develops scalable climate solutions for agricultural carbon markets MSU scientists develop a scalable, science-based system for agricultural carbon markets that improves climate impact accuracy, builds trust in carbon credits, and supports regenerative farming across ...

New research from Michigan State University, led by agricultural systems scientist Bruno Basso, addresses a major problem in agricultural carbon markets: how to set an accurate starting point, or “baseline,” for measuring climate benefits.

msutoday.msu.edu/news/2025/07...

A field of goldenrod with t-posts in it

Another year of NutNet in the books @kelloggbiostn.bsky.social

This workshop should be extremely useful for experimental ecologists! Both @mridulkthomas.bsky.social and @raviranjan.bsky.social are pros at connecting experiments with theory.

Data Nuggets: Bringing Authentic Soil Carbon Research to the Classroom Authentic datasets have the unique ability to capture the attention of students and engage them in the work of scientists. Data Nuggets are free classroom resources, co-designed by scientists and teac...

Want to interact with a scientist behind a Data Nugget? Join us for an upcoming webinar where we will hear from Caro Cordova, author of Farms Flight Climate Change, as she shares her research and motivations behind her career. More details here! energy.wisc.edu/events/data-...

Christine Sprunger @sprunger.bsky.social is one of 39 visionaries named to the 2025 Top Agri-food Pioneers, or TAP, list by the World Food Prize Foundation. Congrats Christine!

www.kbs.msu.edu/2025/07/chri...

Graphic featuring a photo of a scientist releasing a woodpecker into the wild, with the text September 2025 monthly updates from the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station.

Keep up with KBS! Read our September newsletter: bit.ly/4p6zgxu

LTER Photo Contest 2025 - LTER Introducing the LTER Photo Contest, 2025! Spurred on by the great images submitted last year and the fierce site vs. site competition that took place on our Instagram page to pick a winner, we're back...

Calling all KBS LTER photographers! Have some photos from your best day and worst day in the field? Submit them to the LTER Network's yearly photo contest!

lternet.edu/stories/lter...

Nature-based climate solutions can help mitigate the radiative forcing that follows deforestation - Communications Earth & Environment Nature-based climate solutions such as conservation agriculture and forestry can partially offset the global warming caused by deforestation, while natural forest regeneration is capable of a complete...

From @kbslter.bsky.social researchers, Grant Falvo and Phil Robertson, have a paper out in Nature Communications Earth and Environment exploring how nature-based climate solutions can help mitigate the radiative forcing that follows deforestation across Midwest.

www.nature.com/articles/s43...

Michigan State University is hiring a new Director of our herbarium!

This is an open rank, tenure-stream faculty position, with research focus in plant or fungal systematics, ecology, and/or evolution

Please consider applying and help spread the word!

plantbiology.natsci.msu.edu/job-postings...

Regenerative Agriculture: A Transformative Approach to Ecological Farming and Soil Recovery Learn how ecological farming can combat soil degradation and ecological breakdown, promoting sustainable practices in agriculture.

New review highlights scientific basis of regenerative agriculture. Rather than prescribing specific methods, it emphasizes observable outcomes – improved soil function, biological activity, and resilience – allowing flexibility across farming contexts.

www.morningagclips.com/regenerative...

Local adaptation of both plant and pathogen: an arms‐race compromise in switchgrass rust In coevolving species, parasites locally adapt to host populations as hosts locally adapt to resist parasites. Parasites often outpace host local adaptation since they have rapid life cycles, but ho...

Very nice @newphyt.bsky.social study on plant/pathogen evolution by @davidlowry.bsky.social and many others!
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Habitat Loss Is Leading to Inbreeding Among Michigan's Only Species of Venomous Snake Roads, buildings and other manmade barriers are preventing the small pit vipers from slithering around to find mates from other populations

Eastern massasauga rattlesnakes are considered a keystone species in Michigan. Read about the research on Michigan’s only venomous snakes by KBS faculty member Sarah Fitzpatrick and former KBS graduate student Meaghan Clark.

I wanted to share this photo essay that Gavin Hutchings, the KBS 2025 external communications intern, wrote on the Shah lab's work at the KBS Pond Lab facility. It's a lovely piece that showcases some members of the wonderful group we had this summer!!

Mark your calendars to see sustainable cropping systems in action Attend the annual Long-Term Agroecosystem Research field day on Sept. 4, 2025, to learn about sustainable cropping systems in action.

The KBS LTAR’s annual field day is coming up! The field day is open to all agricultural and conservation professionals, and runs from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the KBS LTAR site. Learn more and register for free by Aug. 22: bit.ly/45PvAri

Welcome to the new school year! Our latest Data Nuggets newsletter just came out featuring some of our newest activities and info for requesting access to teacher guides!

mailchi.mp/03135ab78bff...

Excited to share our new paper led by @alexlewanski.bsky.social showing largely positive, multi-decadal consequences of translocations in Red-cockaded woodpeckers at Avon Park Air Force Range in central Florida: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

press release: www.eurekalert.org/news-release...