Milkweed is just coming up in the field where we now have three years of experimental plots in the ground.  At least it’s coming up in those pots that aren’t full of standing water.  When I visit the site, I’m impressed with all the work students have done.

We have one plot, planted in 2018, that is part of the Milkweed Adaptation distributed experiment being conducted at 30 sites across the country, testing for local adaptation.

We have 2 plots that were established as part of Dee Dee Vargas’ study on the effect of pesticides on milkweed growth.

We have 4 plots planted by Dan Buchmeier and Kate Noel in 2017 to test the effects of weed block, pesticides, and different pot types

We have 2 plots planted in 2016 by Olivia Sullivan and Jaqueline Nuzzo, who helped to create the original milkweed curriculum that supports our experiment.

Bethany Tritz has been working to evaluate and update the curriculum and think about ways to expand the project.  She and Joud Haidar will spend this summer developing a website to collaborate with all the project participants and recruit new participants.

We’re starting to work toward publishing the data we’ve created so far, and we’ve just submitted a proposal to NSF to support an ongoing collaboration and more teacher workshops.  Here’s hoping for a favorable review.