My Major, Educational Institution expectedGraduationYear – Yikes – no more majors or masters for me. I will be entering my 33rd or 34th year of teaching nearby at West Central Area Schools. I teach mainly the physical sciences (chem and physics) but am also fortunate to teach some fun electives.
Research Interests
I am interested in studying … The before and after diversity of both plant and insect (bees) species on prescribed burns.
Statement
I am from … In my spare time I like to … etc. I am originally from Morris, MN but have spent the majority of my life right here on the prairie. Currently i live in Elbow Lake, about 20 miles north of Echinacea Project base camp. I am married to Chris who is an elementary teacher. I have 4 kids ranging in age from 19- 24, two of them currently in college and one of them a two year Team Echin Project member. In my spare time i enjoy taking out my two dogs (pictured) hitting local prairies or bird watching and finding ice cream shops on our summer road trips in the Bombus — mobile. I have always been so impressed by the quality of young people the Echin Project has year after year and am looking forward to this season too.
(Here’s a photo of my dogs Clyde and Lilly and me below)
Here John (RET participant 2018 & 2019) is measuring in one of our experimental plots with two undergraduate researchers, Jay and Avery
Day one of the field season is done and we are so excited for what is sure to be a summer full of discovery. On our first observation trip, we visited two site, KJs and East Elk Lake.
The KJs field had trees on the edge of the field yet not inside of the field. Inside of the field there was not a lot of diversity within the plants, it was mostly clump warm season grasses. We saw some Stipa grasses in the field which were seeding. There were a few flowering plants, but on the whole the plants were not flowered. There was also some exposed soil and charcoal present, evidence of a burn.
We finished up at East Elk Lake, and the very first thing we noticed was several Echinacea plants! We counted 5 in total in a small stretch along the road. There were quite a few plants flowering in this plot, and the plants were about double the size as they were over at KJs. One stark difference between the two sites was while KJs had an abundance of clump grasses, East Elk Lake did not. This site has an abundance of the cool weather non-native Brome Grass spread throughout the site. There were also trees with healthy green leaves scattered throughout the site.
We are excited to continue to visit these sites and others throughout the season and watch the changes that occur as we creep further into summer!
After grabbing some lunch, Maris and I headed over to the Loeffler corner remnant to check out the differences between its burned eastern side and unburned western side.
Getting a closer look at Loeffler Corner’s recently burned eastern side.
The prairie remnant located on the eastern side of the road is smaller than its counterpart, is uphill from the gravel roadway and has a large tree casting a shadow over much of its surface. The western part of the remnant, on the other hand, is about twice the size, dips downhill from both the gravel road and the highway and is home to a few saplings.
While both sides contained echinacea, we observed more on the western side, including stems from last year, which were absent on the eastern side. Other forbs were also present on both sides, though the species were distinct; on the eastern side we observed alfalfa, wild parsnip and anemones, while the western side only had prairie rose.
In terms of grasses, in both parts of Loeffler Corner we observed about equal quantities of stipa, though on the western side it was much more clustered together. We saw other grasses on both sides as well, such as brome and panic grass.
Hmmmmmmmm, plants.
Our observations seemed to suggest that there was a higher species diversity on the side of the remnant that had been burned. During a rousing discussion on the car ride back to the field house, we talked about how that might have been in part due to more nutrients in the soil due to the burn, and even more open soil overall might be helpful during a seed’s germination.
Personally, my favorite part (Maris concurred) was getting distracted by some awesome butterflies at the site. I wasn’t quick enough to get a picture of a beautiful fritillary that flew by, but I was able to snap a photo of a smaller butterfly, maybe a variety of skipper or dash, sitting on an alfalfa!
Here’s to another day of prairie prowlin’!
I was so focused on taking a pic of this feller, I didn’t even notice the echinacea plant behind it until taking a closer look at the picture. Made us wonder what else we missed on our first day!
For many months I have been eagerly awaiting summer in the prairie. After a long winter and a busy spring, I found visiting local prairies during the past couple weeks incredibly restorative. Each step is accompanied by a familiar crunch as new “green friends” come into view. Their distinctive color palettes fuse into a vivid mosaic. As the summer progresses, I know incredible hues of green, yellow, white, purple, and orange will wax and wane producing a shifting mosaic of colors that simply enthralls the senses. I know what is coming, yet I can hardly contain my excitement.
Welcome Team Echinacea 2021! Here’s to a safe, productive, and illuminating summer of science filled with kaleidoscopic prairie sunsets and a menagerie of new friends, green and otherwise.
Team Echinacea is back in full force! With one of the biggest field teams in history, we are all excited to get started on research.
Today was the first day of the field season, full of lots of information. We started the day picking up the iconic fanny packs and some supplies. Then we headed to Staffanson and Hegg Lake to see the prairie.
After lunch, the team split up to visit some remnants to compare burned and unburned sites. I went to Landfill with Kennedy – stay tuned for more details later.
A look down the hill at Landfill East – check out all the stipa!
Once back at Hjelm we learned how to make tags for demo tomorrow and then called it a day. Tomorrow we will be ready to go bright and early for more prairie adventures!
I am a postdoctoral researcher at the Chicago Botanic Garden. I joined the Echinacea Project in 2014 as a Research Intern. Before returning to Team Echinacea this winter, I finished up my PhD at UW-Madison in 2020.
Research Interests
I am a plant ecologist and conservation biologist. My research investigates how fire influences the plant reproduction and population dynamics in fragmented prairies.
Statement
In my spare time, I enjoy spending time outdoors: birding; botanizing; exploring the natural world by foot, bike, and canoe; and working on restoration projects. My fascination with ducks borders on obsession.
B.S. Environmental Science – University of North Carolina Wilmington
7th Grade Science Teacher – Andrew Jackson Middle School, Titusville, FL
Research Interests
I am excited to learn more about how fire affects prairie remnants.
Statement
I am from Melbourne, FL, but I grew up in Sun Prairie, WI. In my free time I love to hike with my husband and my dog, cook and bake, read, and anything that involves being on the water!
I am interested in learning all I can about plant and insect interactions and using this knowledge to inform conservation efforts. I especially like bees, and I’m excited to gain some new identification skills this summer!
Statement
I am from Louisville, Kentucky. In my free time I like to find new places to hike, hang out with my dogs, bake, and watch as many movies as I can.
I am most interested in studying the bees and other insects that are on the prairies. I am excited to see how they can affect the plant life and I am looking forward to studying their different roles in pollination and learning more about it.
Statement
I am from Elbow Lake, Minnesota. I spend a lot of my spare time with my goats that I milk and show at fairs throughout the summer. I also enjoy running cross country, playing softball, reading a good book, and practicing taekwondo.
Biochemistry, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities 2025
Graduated from Alexandria Area High School in 2021
Research Interests
I am interested in learning how research works and gaining an introduction into professional and college level research. This summer I am interested in studying how organisms and plants genetically change through generations, but in the future I would like to study much more so I can gain a better understanding of the world. My favorite classes have always been science classes so I am hoping to be able to apply what I learned in the classroom to real research!
Statement
I am from Alexandria, Minnesota. In my spare time I like to nordic ski, exercise, read books, play my violin, sew, spend time with my dogs, and be on the lake.
