On the evening of Friday, July 17th, members of the public and Kellogg Biological Station community will join us for an evening exploring the intersection of art and science. The Farmscapes to Forests event will take place at the Overlook Building in the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary, and is the program’s first-ever group public exhibition, bringing together the three MSU College of Arts & Letters faculty artists who served as our 2025 Artists-in-Residence: The exhibition is scheduled for July 17, 2026, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the W.K. Kellogg Bird Sanctuary. Attendees enjoyed refreshments,
Farmscapes to Forests: An evening with KBS LTER’s 2025 Artists-in-Residence
RET Melissa Frost to visit Konza LTER in cross-site synthesis effort
Melissa Frost completed a Research Experience for Teachers (RET) at the Kellogg Biological Station (KBS) LTER in 2022 and since then has remained active with the program. Today, she serves on the K-12 Partnership Teacher Advisory Board and will complete a second RET with Dr. Lauren Sullivan this summer. Recognizing the importance of bringing her research experience back to her students, Melissa collaborated with her students and district to design and establish a schoolyard prairie restoration at Buchanan High School, mirroring prairies at the KBS LTER. Currently, Melissa is
Humanizing the Science: LTER Artist-in-Residence program marks its fifth year
The Farmscapes to Forests: Kellogg Biological Station Long-Term Ecological Research Artists-in-Residence Program is entering its fifth year, featuring Kalamazoo-based visual artist Ellen VanderMyde as the 2026 Artist-in-Residence and the debut of the program’s first group exhibition showcasing the work of last year’s cohort of Michigan State University College of Arts & Letters artists. Launched in 2022 and supported by the National Science Foundation to promote collaborations between art and science, the program offers artists working in any medium a one-week immersion during the sum
LTER researchers collaborate with local educators to promote outdoor STEM education
A recent CIRCLE Seed Grant from MSU brought together a team of local K-12 teachers and KBS LTER researchers to develop a replicable schoolyard experiment. Scientific discovery is often associated with remote field sites or specialized laboratories, but it can also begin in familiar places - like schoolyards. At the KBS LTER site, researchers study ecosystems using a combination of observation, experiments, modeling, and synthesis. Equally important is how this work is conducted: through long-term collaboration. As 1 of 26 LTER Network sites across the country, KBS LTER scientists
KBS grad student earn awards for national energy research for harnessing soil microbes
Brandon Kristy, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Integrative Biology and a member of the Evans Lab at the Kellogg Biological Station, will go to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, or LLNL, to study the "unseen" partners of sustainable bioenergy.Kristy’s specialty is plant science for sustainable bioenergy, where he investigates how soil microbiomes can help crops like switchgrass thrive without relying on excessive chemical fertilizers. Kristy's work underscores how MSU graduate students are leveraging national resources to turn fundamental scientific inquiry into real-world s
Thirty years of data reveal major declines in lady beetles and their pest-fighting power in Midwestern farmland
Long-term monitoring at the Kellogg Biological Station Long Term Ecological Research site (KBS LTER) shows both native and introduced predators are declining, potentially weakening a key natural defense against crop pests. A new study, led by researchers at Kent State University and Michigan State University, finds that populations of lady beetles, important natural predators of crop pests, have declined substantially over the past three decades in a Midwestern agricultural landscape. The research, published in PNAS Nexus, analyzed 31 years of insect monitoring data collected at
KBS LTER graduate student receives prestigious MSU science award
KBS graduate student Rachel Drobnak has received the 2026 MSU Graduate School’s Graduate Award in Science Communication & Outreach for her work in promoting the benefits of prairie strips. KBS graduate student Rachel Drobnak has received the 2026 Graduate Student Award for Science Communication & Outreach. The award, which is given annually to one graduate student at MSU, is “conferred in recognition of the exemplary translation and communication of scholarly ideas, research findings, and advancements in all academic disciplines to the general public.” Rachel spent the first t
MiSTRIPS program extends its impact beyond farm fields to classrooms and communities
Inspired by their time as Research Experience for Teachers program at the Kellogg Biological Station, two Michigan teachers are using schoolyard prairies as outdoor classrooms to engage students and provide hands-on experience with science. Now in its fifth year, MiSTRIPS has made a lasting impact that extends beyond the 11 participating farmers who have planted more than 50 acres of prairie strips. While the program’s core focus is demonstrating the benefits of integrating native prairie into agricultural systems, its influence reaches well beyond crops and soil health. MiSTRIPS has also
Creativity and curiosity: K-Woods students explore science and art at KBS
At the end of last October, the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station was thrilled to welcome Kensington Woods, or K-Wood, Schools back for a second year of field-based ecological exploration. K-Woods, a charter school in Livingston, Michigan, prides itself on its small, supportive community and its STEAM-focused approach that shows students how creativity and science go hand in hand. That same blend of creativity and scientific curiosity is central to our work at KBS, making this partnership the perfect match. This year, however, we had something new to look forward to: along with returning biology
MiSTRIPS impacts farmers beyond their fields
The MiSTRIPS program is helping Michigan farmers boost soil health, support wildlife, and increase profit by integrating native prairie strips into working farmland, making a meaningful impact and fostering new relationships between land stewards and researchers. The MiSTRIPS program has supported 11 Michigan farmers in planting more than 50 acres of native prairie and prairie strips, creating meaningful change across agricultural communities and building strong connections between land stewards and scientists. Farmers from across the state have joined MiSTRIPS over the past five years,
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