Monitoring Invasive Species in Blueberries
Students from Mary Markham's classes worked with farmers John and Lynn Gierke to investigate the life cycle of an insect which poses an emerging threat to Michigan's fruit industry: the Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) fruit fly.
Intern Wyatt Gerner set traps over the 2018 growing season to monitor SWD and led a farm visit to with peers to continue delving into the issue of how the farm will face the changing ecosystem and economics brought about by the invasive insect. Students collected samples of insects to identify in their school lab and designed pollinator hotels to be installed at the farm using locally sourced and recycled materials. Wyatt was selected as Youth Citizen of the Year in Chassell in connection with his dedication to this research.
In 2019, students learned to propagate blueberries from cuttings. They will started transplants of native plants to attract and support pollinators, and helped establish those plants at the farm on a planting day. They also worked on signs to educate the u-pick farm's many visitors about the importance of native pollinators, protecting habitat, and approaches to limiting the spread of invasive species.
Intern Wyatt Gerner set traps over the 2018 growing season to monitor SWD and led a farm visit to with peers to continue delving into the issue of how the farm will face the changing ecosystem and economics brought about by the invasive insect. Students collected samples of insects to identify in their school lab and designed pollinator hotels to be installed at the farm using locally sourced and recycled materials. Wyatt was selected as Youth Citizen of the Year in Chassell in connection with his dedication to this research.
In 2019, students learned to propagate blueberries from cuttings. They will started transplants of native plants to attract and support pollinators, and helped establish those plants at the farm on a planting day. They also worked on signs to educate the u-pick farm's many visitors about the importance of native pollinators, protecting habitat, and approaches to limiting the spread of invasive species.