Category Archives: science
Garden Ecology Lab Year in Review: COVID Edition
This past year presented challenge and change to the Garden Ecology Lab. COVID locked us out of the lab and out of the field for a period of time. We said goodbye to two lab members (Angelee graduated! Cliff decided … Continue reading
Posted in Lab News, Native Plants, Pollinators, science
Tagged Garden Ecology Lab Research, research recap
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Five Scientific Studies that Changed the Way I Think About Gardens: Part 2, Putting a Price on Nature
This is the second is a series of articles that I am writing for the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon Quarterly Magazine. I extend my thanks to the HPSO editorial team for improvements to my narrative. *************** Humans benefit from … Continue reading
Five Scientific Studies that Changed the Way I Think About Gardens: Part 1
[Preface: For the past few years, I have written a column for the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon’s (HPSO) Quarterly Magazine. It has been a wonderful experience, as the HPSO provides excellent editorial assistance. Below, I share my most recent … Continue reading
Posted in bees, Beneficial Insects, garden ecology, science, urban
Tagged Ecological Theory, ecology research, Island Biogeography, Urban Ecology, urban pollinators
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Garden Ecology Lab Research Update
COVID-19 has impacted our research in many different ways, including making it more difficult to find time to provide research updates on a regular basis. Despite the long silence, we have many projects up and running this summer! In fact, … Continue reading
Posted in Lab News, science
Tagged Buddleja, butterfly bush, Cara, garden microbes, garden soils, Gwynne, Jen, nativars, Native Plants, pollinators, Tyler
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Link to ‘Garden(er) Microbiome’ Webinar Recording
Thanks to all who signed up for the ‘Citizen Science in the Garden!: Studying the Garden(er) Microbiome’ webinar. The webinar recording can be found below, or via THIS LINK. If you are interested in participating in this project, please leave … Continue reading
Welcome Gwynne Mhuireach and the Garden(er) Microbiome Project
This post a from Gwynne Mhuireach, who will be studying the microbiome of garden soils . . . and gardeners!! *********** A little about me… I am a researcher, farmer, and mom to twin teenagers. My formal education is broadly … Continue reading
How COVID-19 Has Impacted the OSU Garden Ecology Lab
I asked our group if they would be willing to share how COVID-19 is impacting their science, their studies, and their life. Our collective reflections can be found, below. Gail Langellotto, Professor and Statewide Master Gardener Coordinator: In early February, … Continue reading
Happy 50th Anniversary of Earth Day
Today is the 50th anniversary of earth day. I am almost as old as earth day (I will turn 50, next February), and am finding myself in a reflective mood. Ever since I was a child, I have been fascinated … Continue reading
Does Repeated, Lethal Sampling Contribute to Insect Declines?
Over the past few months, I have shared data on bees and other insects that we have collected from Portland-area gardens. For every garden insect we study (except for butterflies, which can be identified to species by sight), we use … Continue reading
Posted in bees, science
Tagged bee collecting, ecology research, insect collections, Insect Decline
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A Primer on Parasitoids
You know about butterflies, about bees, beetles, and ladybugs, all of our favorite garden critters – but do you know about the parasitic wasp? Alias: The Parasitoid. Not quite a parasite and not quite a predator, they are the zombie-creating … Continue reading
Posted in Beneficial Insects, garden ecology, science
Tagged beneficial wasps, biocontrol, garden insects, Parasitoids
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