The Data Stream: Plotting Pollinators at the Bell Museum
July 29, 2026
By Mary Marek-Spartz, MSP LTER Information Manager & GIS Analyst
The "Plot A Pollinator" activity at the Bell Museum's 2026 Solution Studio makerspace introduces kids to GIS using real bumble bee distribution data. Designed for lower elementary students, the activity teaches foundational map-reading skills like reading coordinate planes, legends, and heat maps, while sneaking in more complex geospatial concepts like hexagonal tiling and map distortion. It's a hands-on entry point into spatial thinking, built around a question every good scientist asks: what patterns can we find in the world around us?
Seeking Clarity on Lake Restoration
July 29, 2026
By Katie Polik, PhD Candidate in the University of Minnesota Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, and the MSP LTER Surface Waters Team
What does it take to bring a lake back from toxic algal blooms? MSP LTER PhD candidate Katie Polik breaks down the legacy phosphorus problem facing Twin Cities lakes, and dives into the research-backed treatments helping reverse it—from alum treatments to carp removal.
What Do We See When We Look at a Lake? Understanding Visitor Perceptions of Lake Water Quality
July 28, 2026
By Becky Forgrave, Research Scientist at the University of Minnesota Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, and the MSP LTER Surface Waters Team
Do lake visitors' perceptions of water quality match what the data actually shows? A multi-year study across Twin Cities lakes uses on-site chatbot surveys to find out, comparing what people perceive with other, quantitative water quality measurements. Learn about the study's initial findings and future plans in this piece from Becky Forgrave, a research scientist working on the project.
Partner Spotlight: Conversational Reflections on Rambles and Art-Science Engagements
July 25, 2026
A conversation with former MSP LTER artists-in-residence Jessie Merriam, now the MSP LTER Community-Engaged Research Coordinator, and Kimberly Boustead, local artist in the Twin Cities
The MSP LTER's Community Engagement Assessment team studies how inclusive research shapes both scientists and the communities where they do their work. From 2023 to 2025, artists-in-residence Kim Boustead and Jessie Merriam helped bring that work to life, fostering reciprocal relationships between researchers and the Twin Cities community through art and facilitated conversations. In this interview, Kim and Jessie reflect on their work with the MSP LTER over the past two years, the pitfalls and triumphs of community-engaged research, and look to what’s ahead.
Surveys and Soirees: Documenting Tree Stewardship Across the Twin Cities
December 15, 2026
By Sally Donovan, PhD Candidate in the University of Minnesota Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, and the MSP LTER Urban Forests Team
For decades, scientists have studied how biodiversity influences resilience—the ability of an ecosystem to resist and recover from disturbances, such as drought and pest outbreaks. Yet forest resilience also relies on social variables, like the capacity of communities and governments to care for, or steward, them. This is particularly visible in urban forests where trees and vegetation are tightly packed against human-built infrastructure. In this piece, PhD candidate Sally Donovan shares her research mapping local stewardship networks to track their capacities to support resilient ecosystems.