Conservation

Hello everyone! My name is Mike Howe and I'm the newest member of the Gratton Lab. I got my BA in Biology at Gustavus Adolphus College and my Master's in Entomology at University of Wisconsin-Madison with Kenneth Raffa. I will ...
Read More

Recently, lab technician Olivia Bernauer and post-doc Hannah Gaines Day put together a brochure about the wild bee pollinators found in Wisconsin apple orchards which was handed out to apple growers at the 2017 Field Day at one of our ...
Read More

The Gratton lab has been busy these past couple of months presenting research at regional and national meetings.  Here are examples of our 2017 research presentations ranging from bee behavioral responses in apple orchards to nitrogen effects on freshwater algal ...
Read More

Doctor Claudio Gratton received this year's Vilas Associate Award from the Univeristy of Wisconsin-Madison. This is a highly competitive award that grants funding to university professors for specific projects. Claudio's winning project proposal, titled "Do exotic plant-insect mutualisms affect native bumble bees? ...
Read More

Bees are among the most frequently studied animals, and yet there remains a vast amount of knowledge to be gained about these important pollinators. In this exclusive interview, Kiley Friedrich from the Gratton Lab and Agroecology Master’s program at UW-Madison ...
Read More

Much of the research conducted in our lab focuses on beneficial insects in agricultural landscapes. Specifically, we investigate how the type and configuration of natural habitat in agricultural landscapes influences beneficial insects and the services they provide (e.g., pest control) ...
Read More

While many spend the final days of October perfecting Halloween costumes and nibbling on sweet treats, bat enthusiasts around the country gather for the annual Bat Week: October 24-31, 2016.  This national, week-long event works to raise awareness around bat ...
Read More

Recently, Tracy Campbell joined the Gratton lab (co-advised by Chris Kucharik) as an Agronomy Master’s student. Tracy will be working with Claudio and Chris to organize a symposium on the use of Ecoinformatics (or “Big Data”) in Agricultural Research.  To ...
Read More

Bumble bees are some of the most relatable, and respected creatures in the insect world.   Their thick, furry coat of pile (what entomologists call the hair that covers their bodies), and their easily recognizable buzz make them a charismatic microfauna ...
Read More

The Gratton lab is back in the field working on projects already this year!  Post-doc Hannah's project on Apple pollination is underway, and crews have been out at orchards across southern Wisconsin counting flowers, bees, and enjoying the beautiful sites! ...
Read More

The Gratton lab group is hiring field assistants for 2-3 different projects. Please follow application instructions at the bottom of each position summary---if you are interested in all projects, please apply separately to each contact person. 1. Field Assistants: Prairie ...
Read More

In January, Amy Wray joined the Gratton lab to work on a multi-disciplinary study examining the agro-ecological consequences of White Nose Syndrome (WNS) on bats in Wisconsin.  In partnership with the Peery Lab and the Wisconsin DNR, this project will ...
Read More

Hard work by lab post-doc Christina Locke has paid off - the State of Wisconsin Pollinator Protection is complete!  This collaborative effort, spearheaded by DATCP and the Gratton lab (Christina and Claudio), suggests best practices for managing for pollinators across ...
Read More

Kiley and Jade are headed off to Virginia for the summer!  In partnership with GLBRC, Pheasants Forever,  and FDC Enterprises, they are examining how different types of pollinator strips planted along margins of switchgrass fields (e.g., high floral diversity (like ...
Read More

The Wisconsin chapter of the Society of Conservation Biology is organizing a citizen science program examining wild bees in the Lakeshore Nature preserve of the UW campus.  The project will begin with a kickoff event June 14th at the Arboretum, ...
Read More