Local Thinking and Ecological Solutions

soilhealthbiology@gmail.com (George Bird) — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 18:17:52 GMT

As relatively recent immigrants to North America, my ancestors were poor and the land was rich. There were many open spaces. The era included atrocities of slavery and destruction of cultures native to this land. Today, a dominant minority are rich, an alarming amount of land is poor and there is significantly less room at the inn. For our children and their children to have the opportunities available to us, it will be necessary to focus on local thinking and ecological solutions. This does not preclude addressing global issues or fostering international cooperation. It provides a sense of purpose and mission of reality. It is, however, fundamentally different than the dominant world view of the last fifty years. Humankind’s future and its food and farming systems depend on true and strong partnerships with natural ecosystems. There is no known alternative, for this is the way our world is known to work.

Hero Award 2022

Tue, 18 Oct 2022 01:28:24 GMT

2022 HERO AWARD - Stuart Gage

- October 27, 2022 -

Dr. Stuart Gage was an innovative and pioneering scientist. At his core, he was a

broad naturalist who was intrigued by all interacting components of agricultural,

natural and human living environment systems. In the early stages of Stuart’s

career in entomology, he implemented a successful biological control system for

cereal leaf beetle and worked on innovative management systems for several pests.

Stuart developed remarkable skills in ecological modeling. He applied them to his

research, including studying the annual introduction of pests over long distances on

weather fronts. As a highly proficient modeler, Stuart developed a renown spatial

ecology laboratory at MSU. His foresight in establishing a long-term insect

monitoring program as part of the Kellogg Biological Station, Long-term

Ecological Research project fostered the discovery of decades-long changes in

populations of lady bird beetles and other important predators of pests in

agricultural landscapes. This led to his work in soundscape ecology where he

made recordings from around the world for measuring the diversity and health of

the environment. As a profound entomologist and ecologist, Stuart had the ability

to interact with a broad array of scientists and students. He was an amazing

visionary, with a powerful skill set in biology and electronic technology. Stuart’s

contributions to environmentally-sound agriculture have had very significant and

ever-expanding positive impacts on overall quality of life.

gw-bird-family-foundation

Local Thinking and Ecological Solutions

Hero Award 2022

2022 HERO AWARD - Stuart Gage

- October 27, 2022 -