Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Area (MSP) Long Term Ecological Research Program
March 22, 2022
By Mary Marek-Spartz, MSP LTER Information Manager
In the Spring 2022 "Data Streams" feature, MSP LTER Information Manager Mary Marek-Spartz explores what happens when trusted sources of open weather data disappear—and what it means for long-term research reproducibility. She shares how the MSP LTER is responding by building its own interface to open climate data, drawing on local resources and regional partners.
July 29, 2026
By Mary Marek-Spartz, MSP LTER Information Manager
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?
Mary Marek-Spartz is the Information Manager and GIS Analyst for the MSP LTER. In her role, Mary acts as the data engineer for all research at the site by building and maintaining the systems that collect, process, and store site data so that it's clean, reliable, and ready for publication. She also provides data analysis, training, and other support to MSP LTER's many researchers. She holds a PhD in Entomology from the University of Minnesota.
