Designing Slug TrapsJLK Bahweting and Waishkey Bay Farm Students from Heather Purple's classes worked with Bay Mills Community College farm manager Cloud Sparks to develop sustainable solutions to slug damage in the farm's community garden for elders and hoop house. Students began by learning about the farm and the food produced there, then searched for slug habitat and participated in activities to better understand insects and invertebrates in the food web. Students designed slug traps, 3-D printed the traps, and began testing them in highly affected areas. In 2019, students continued to test new prototypes, comparing efficacy across different approaches using observation and data collected by farm staff. With support from MSU Extension FRTEP Educator Kat Jacques, students collaborated with Waishkey Bay for events at the farm to share their findings with those who use the community garden as well as area farmers. The project found a new professional audience with others working in non-formal agriculture education across tribal communities at the FRTEP Professional Development Conference in Sault Ste. Marie, MI. | In the news...​ PresentationsTribal Schools & Tribal Farms: Solving Agriculture Problems Using STEM - 2019 Federally Recognized Tribes Extension Program (FRTEP) Professional Development Conference |
