Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture

'Superheroes in Training': Students envision a new future for agriculture

Back to Leopold Letter Winter 2012

As the Leopold Center supports new research projects about innovative practices to create healthier and more resilient farming systems, grad students often toil behind the scenes. We’re putting a few of those students in the spotlight. Here you’ll find excerpts from interviews with these “superheroes in training” who are working against the odds to create a better world. Look for the complete interviews on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/LeopoldCenter/notes.

Skip to:  Todd Ontl  -  Stefan Gailans  -  Anna MacDonald

Todd OntlTodd Ontl, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Describe your research:

I am working with the Landscape Biomass Project, a project focused on understanding the environmental outcomes of different bioenergy cropping systems across an agricultural landscape.  I am studying the potential of several bioenergy crops to improve soil organic matter content from the growth of plant roots.  This is important because soil organic matter is the basis for improving functioning in our landscapes, such as improving water quality and the health of our soils. 

If you could make one change to make the world more sustainable, what would it be?

If I could do one thing to make the world more sustainable it would be to change the way many people in the United States think about and use transportation.  I would like to see more incentives and options for people to use public transportation within the towns and cities where they live, and especially to use bicycles when possible.  It might be a small step towards sustainability, but one that would make our communities safer and more enjoyable places to live. 

Who is your favorite superhero (real or fictional) and why?

My high school chemistry teacher, Joel Klammer.  was an inspiration to me and many of my classmates as well.  He brought a passion for both science and the environment to the classroom.  He made the learning process fun and exciting, something I strive for whenever I get the chance to teach students.  I think of him as a superhero because he not only was a fantastic teacher, but he was involved in many things outside of the classroom and set an example of excellence and integrity with everything he did.

Stefan GailansStefan Gailans, Crop Production & Physiology and Sustainable Agriculture

Describe your research:

In a nutshell, my research lab investigates alternative crop production and alternative cropping systems—apart from corn and soybean these systems include crops like canola, wheat, and red clover….I got excited about this kind of research when I realized the intersection between agriculture and the environment many years ago.  As one who cares for wildlife habitat, outdoor recreation, and productive agriculture, I find this intersection is very important.

How do you like to spend your time when you’re not out saving the world?

I spend a lot of time listening to music and going to see local music live with my friends.  I’ve also recently gotten into science fiction literature, primarily the works of Isaac Asimov. I also enjoy fishing and, as per the seasons, very much enjoy hunting for waterfowl and pheasant.

If you could make one change to make the world more sustainable, what would it be?

I’ll draw a bit from my previous answer here.  In some of his novels, Asimov portrays a world (not necessarily positively or negatively) where nearly all humans live in dense population centers with very few working the land with many machines to grow and produce food.  I would much rather see the opposite of this.  The more people in rural settings, the more people there are to care for agriculture and the environment.

Anna MacDonaldAnna MacDonald, Wildlife Ecology

Describe your research: 

I work on the STRIPs (Science-based Trials of Row crops Integrated with Prairies) project, which is studying the impacts of prairie strips in crop fields, such as their ability to improve water quality and biodiversity.  My role on the project is researching how birds respond to the habitat that these small prairie strips provide within agricultural fields.  Grassland songbirds have experienced steeper, more widespread declines than any other group of taxa in North America, largely because of habitat loss.  It’s not feasible to restore large tracts of grassland habitat everywhere, but perhaps integrating small areas of habitat into agricultural lands could be beneficial for some species. 

What got you excited about studying this topic?

It’s a long story, but I’ve always been interested in natural resources and conservation, and once I started learning about the prairie, I fell in love with it.  I’ve been interested in birds since I learned to identify visitors to our birdfeeder while I was growing up, and even more so after taking an Ornithology course in college and having several bird-related field jobs. 

Who is your favorite superhero (real or fictional) and why?

I have a lot of real-life superheroes, most of whom are ecologists or naturalists, and many of whom are still living, but the first one who comes to mind at this question is Ding Darling. Jay N. “Ding” Darling was an award-winning editorial cartoonist, who later became the first chief of the U.S. Biological Survey.  He played an important role in the early conservation movement of the United States, and his legacy lives on in in his cartoons (many which are still relevant today), and the programs he helped to create, such as the Federal Duck Stamp Program, the National Wildlife Federation, and the Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Program.  Ding Darling reminds me how much one person can make a difference, and how much is still possible through hard work, communication, and partnerships.

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