After working side-by-side with their faculty mentors for years, the NH Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of New Hampshire celebrates 2017 graduates who have conducted experiment station-funded research. For some, graduate school is the next step; others will move on to their first jobs. For all, their experience working as a student researcher supported by the experiment station was meaningful, and sometimes, life changing.

The Smokey Winged Beetle Bandit is a solitary ground nest wasp that is native to North America. It hunts wood boring beetles, and is useful in monitoring the spread of the invasive species Emerald Ash Borer (EAB). EAB is an introduced species that has spread across much of the northeast forest and has caused millions of dollar in damage. However, the Smokey Winged Beetle Bandit can be used by everyone to monitor for EAB and catch it in the early days of introduction. Ellie McCabe, a graduate student who works with experiment station researcher Dr.

Consumer preferences for local and organic foods have increased sharply in recent years, and many small farms are trying to meet this rising consumer demand. Small farms dominate the New England agricultural world, making local consumption assessments and information crucial for economic viability. Samantha Werner, a graduate research assistant who works with experiment station researcher Dr. John Halstead, discusses information from a survey of 5,000 households in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine about consumer preferences for locally and organically grown produce.

Doctoral student Devon O'Rourke is working with NH Agricultural Experiment Station researcher Jeff Foster on understanding the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of endemic bat populations. One aspect of this research relies on bat poop (guano) to describe the seasonal and geographic variation in the diets of bats native to New England. Understanding changes in the diversity and composition of insect species consumed by bats can greatly improve pest management strategies, inform conservation efforts, and shape land use strategies of forested areas affected by invasive pests.

The Guiding Stars nutritional rating system that educates consumers about healthy food options had positive effect raising awareness of healthy food choices available at the University of New Hampshire, according to new research funded by the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station.

After taking unprecedented steps to cope with the pandemic, Gov. Chris Sununu now faces a multi-front campaign to check or weaken the governor’s power to deal with future emergencies. Michael Ettlinger, founding director of the Carsey School, said this battle over emergency powers is being fought in statehouses across the country. “The system is checks and balances. You do want the Legislature involved whenever possible, but there is a reason you have emergency power,” Ettlinger said during an interview.

Researchers with the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of New Hampshire say the effects of climate change could be much stronger by the middle of the 21^st century, and a number of ecosystem and weather conditions could consistently decline even more in the future.

Ornamental aquarium fish like the clownfish Nemo and his pal the royal blue tang Dory one day may be dining on high-quality yet inexpensive white worms grown in New England. New research from the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of New Hampshire has found that live white worms are well-suited for the ornamental aquaculture industry and could be an emerging commercial industry for the region.

Feeding prepartum dairy cows the vitamin niacin prior to giving birth improved the quality of their colostrum, which is the first milk calves drink, according to new research from the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station. Colostrum is essential to building the immune systems of calves, and thus, their survival.

Researchers have long known that many primates make decisions about the number of children they have based on the availability of resources such as food. Now new research from the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of New Hampshire finds that some insects – specifically burying beetles – also choose to limit offspring when food is scarce.