Got Shrubs? Woody plants are changing ecological communities around the globe

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The Knights Who Say “Ni” would be delighted by a growing trend across many of the planet’s major biomes—tree and grass species are being taken over by shrubbery. Unfortunately, this phenomenon isn’t so favorable for native vegetation that struggles to compete with an invading shrub army (the term ecologists often use is ‘woody plant encroachment’)…. Read more »

LTER Road Trip: A Shrubby Invasion

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PhD researcher Joe Brown looking out over a barrier island in the Virginia Coast Reserve.

Islands on the Move I stood on a windy barrier island, hair whipping around my face as my boots crunched across beach seashells. The waves crashed into the sand, here and there stirring up food for one of the many gulls seeking rest or prey on this island. Before me stretched the Atlantic Ocean, as… Read more »

Oyster Reef Soundscapes (VCR)

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Martin Volaric (UVA Environmental Sciences) & Eli Stine (Music) Researchers studying intertidal oyster reefs are using sound recordings as a proxy for reef activity. During Summer 2018, researchers at the VCR-LTER made a series of recordings with two goals in mind:Credit: Cora Ann Johnston1) Pair sound with environmental measurements to study how reefs respond to… Read more »

Environmental History of the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MCM)

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Lake Bonney Camp, Antarctica. Steve Chignell, 2016.

As part of their current project, researchers at MCM LTER are writing a detailed study on the environmental history of the McMurdo Dry Valleys. The monograph will be available online and published as a book with an academic press. For more information visit the McMurdo Dry Valleys History website.

Art & Ecology (VCR)

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Each year, art and science teachers are invited to Art and Ecology workshops that link Plein Aire landscape painting and observational drawing to salt marsh ecology and climate change impacts on coastal ecosystems. Nearly 30 teachers per year participate in these professional development opportunities, and over half return for a 2nd workshop. Workshops focus on… Read more »

Collaboration with artist Cynthia Rubin (NES)

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Jellyfish and Krill in Antarctica by Cynthia Ruben and Susanne Menden-Deuer, 2017

Biological oceanographer Susanne Menden-Deuer at the University of Rhode Island has an ongoing collaboration with artist Cynthia Rubin. Murals are on display on the doors to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) PI labs, while other art is showcased during exhibits and conferences. Project Status: Ongoing

STEAM with Falmouth High School (NES)

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Ying Yang by Garret Bentley and Ness Uitti, 2018. Inspired by work at WHOI researcher Ann Tarrant's lab.

Several WHOI PIs have participated in the “STEAM” program with Falmouth High School art teacher Jane Baker. The STEAM educational movement advocates for the integration of Arts (“A”) into more traditional grouping of STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). For more information, visit Ann Tarrant’s website. Project Status: Completed

After the Burn (KNZ)

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Kansas State University Associate Professor of Art Erin Wiersma creates “paintings” using charred prairie biomass by working directly with the researchers during prescribed watershed burns at Konza Prairie Biological Station. She delivered a public lecture in February 2019 at the Mariana Kistler Beach Museum of Art, Kansas State University (After the Burn: Artist talk by… Read more »

Artist in Residence Program (NTL): Drawing Water

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Crystal Bog by Jessica Jabs, Drawing Water resident 2017

Artists are enthusiastically embraced and encouraged during their residency at Trout Lake Station. A local artist has served as a science and art champion, and guides the public through small projects at an annual Open House. This public artwork is then displayed at NTL, along with artwork donated by previous artists in residence. For more… Read more »

Artist in Residence Program (CDR): Cedar Creek Reflections

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Adam's Research 8 x 10 - Caitlin Barale Potter

The diverse plant and animal communities and long-term studies at Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve provide a unique opportunity for artists to investigate the intersection of science, nature, and humanity. Artists working in any genre are invited to contribute their unique ideas and perspectives. Artists in Residence are selected each fall for a year-long term… Read more »

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