Research scientist Dr. Ryan Schmid and student scientist, Tia Busenitz both from the Ecdysis Foundation, join us for episode 081. Ryan leads the foundation’s rangeland studies. His current research focuses on how regenerative grazing affects pollinator and dung arthropod communities, and how arthropods facilitate the cycling of nutrients in Grasslands. Tia’s current research is focused on honey bee health and hive management, as well as land management effects on pollinator conservation and survival.

Add passion and purpose to the pollinators, pastures and poop discussion. It’s folks like Ryan and Tia and all the researchers at Ecdysis that are helping us uncover and understand all of these different communities through, as they say, their “cutting edge research for transforming agriculture with regenerative principles.” So listen in as Monte discusses with Ryan and Tia all things pollinators, pastures and poop!

Ryan Schmid is a research scientist with Ecdysis Foundation since 2018, where he leads the foundation’s rangeland studies. He credits his upbringing on a family-farm for honing his interest to work with ranchers investigating ecosystem services provided by arthropods in rangelands. His current research focuses on how regenerative grazing affects pollinator and

dung arthropod communities, and how arthropods facilitate the cycling of nutrients in Grasslands.

Katya (Tia) Busenitz is a student scientist at Ecdysis Foundation while pursuing her master’s degree in entomology from UNL. Her admiration for insects and the natural world led her towards entomology, then inevitably into sustainable agriculture and agroecology. Her current research is focused on honeybee health and hive management, as well as land management effects on pollinator conservation and survival.

Watch episode: https://youtu.be/e5jg_WJv3aw

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Check out the Ecdysis Foundation's website for all the research they are doing, it's exciting work!

https://www.ecdysis.bio/