Not Always Sunny in Happy Valley

Yesterday after finishing an assignment on the 5th floor of the Agricultural Science and Industries Building I stood at the windows watching the rain from a brief passing storm. I caught this young man racing between the raindrops. I didn't relish pushing a cart full of photo gear back to my office in the rain.

The circular planting outside of ASI Building reminded me of the outstanding landscape that exists at the University Park campus of Penn State. It's easy to take for granted when you are here all the time but every now and again something slows you down and you see it with new eyes. Like the weather.

The College of Ag Sciences offers an undergraduate degree program in Landscape Contracting for those interested in creating spaces like these.

Sometimes it does rain in Happy Valley. I waited five minutes and the sun came out.

Almost Famous

This morning a copy of the Daily Collegian, our student newspaper, was taped to my office door. My 15 minutes of fame had arrived -- I was on the front page of the paper. The photo above was made outside the Berkey Creamery, my profile gracing the passing public. I'm still waiting to cash in on my celebrity.

The way this unfolded was that I had stopped in front of Tyson Building on Shortlidge Road to photograph a bumble bee on a flower for possible use in our magazine for a short piece on pollinators. As I was shooting I could hear another camera shutter firing.

I zoomed into the wide setting on the lens and adjusted the focus to see a young woman pointing a camera towards me. At first I thought she was making pictures of the flowers but it only took a moment to realize I was the focus of that camera's attention. Unlike most people I don't mind having my picture taken. She told me she was shooting feature art for the Collegian and asked if I would mind having my picture in the paper. I told her it would be fine, gave her my business card and we both went our separate ways.

I worked for the Daily Collegian decades ago and used to do the same kind of thing in the summer. Only then I would have to go back to the darkroom to process the film and make prints. One of the guys who was on the staff the same time I was is Steve McCurry. He shot the iconic cover shot for National Geographic of the young Afghan girl with the bright green eyes. If you are on campus stop by the Palmer Museum. McCurry has a show there right now.

I didn't find a good picture of a bumblebee. The flowers are already in decline and just looked sort of ratty. I'll find another plant still in it's prime.

I wish I had been doing something more heroic on the front page.

Dean Bruce A. McPheron

As the clock strikes midnight Dr. Bruce A. McPheron becomes the new Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences at Penn State succeeding Bob Steele who steps down after 12 years as Dean. I made this portrait in May and was saving it for now. I suspect Dean McPheron will appear in more pictures in the coming weeks and months.

If you are interested in a view of the college and the issues it faces through the eyes of the dean you can follow his thoughts on his blog, Twitter feed, or new Dean's Desk Web site. Make sure to check it out.

Sampling Streams for Benthic Invertebrates

I made this picture of Paola Ferreri, associate professor of fisheries management (left) and Brianna Hutchison, recent M.S. graduate in Wildlife and Fisheries Management, at the former McCoy Dam site on Spring Creek just upstream from Milesburg, Pennsylvania. They are interested in the ecological changes that occur when a dam is removed. Sampling for benthic invertebrates (I had to ask), let's call them aquatic insects that live on the streambed, is just one way to get a picture of stream health.

If you want to know more about this work and other water quality programs and research in the College of Ag Sciences be sure to check out the 2009 Summer/Fall issue of Penn State Agriculture. It will be available in mid-August. If you aren't already on the mailing list make sure you get a FREE SUBSCRIPTION.

DNA Fingerprinting of Listeria monocytogenes

The next issue of Penn State Agriculture will feature a story on work being done in the area of food safety. Researcher Steve Knabel's work in identifying Listeria monocytogenes using DNA fingerprinting techniques will be part of the story. I made this portrait of Knabel in his lab in the new Food Science Building. If you aren't already receiving the magazine you may want to visit our site and get your own FREE SUBSCRIPTION.

And the light isn't normally blue in his lab. Forgive my taking some artistic license in creating this illustration.

Pollinator Wonderland

This morning I was at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center photographing two researchers examining insect pollinators and predators on a cover crop of mustard. On the left is postdoctoral scholar in entomology Tara Pisani Gareau and on the right professor of entomology Mary Barbercheck.  They were looking for beneficial insects that visit the mustard whose bright flowers provide an excellent source of pollen and nectar.  Barbercheck noted that nearly every insect observed was beneficial. 

I have not seen so many honeybees in one place in a long time.

As part of an ongoing research project Pisani Gareau and Barbercheck are looking at how different crop rotations impact sustainable and organic forage production systems.  Incorporating flowering cover crops, like mustard, in crop rotations may enhance important ecosystem services like pollination and biological control.  In the distance you can see some of the high tunnel structures at Rock Springs. To find more information on work in these areas visit the College's site dealing with ecological applications.

Like the bees, I was attracted by the bright yellow flowers.

  

Cool Cows at Penn State

Penn State dairy cows are always pretty cool.  They have to be to make milk for all that great Creamery ice cream. I made this cow portrait not far from Beaver Stadium. When the temperature rises though they need some help staying cool. 

If you want to learn more about how Penn State handles the herd in hot weather check out the video produced by Accuweather titled "Cooler Cows Smooth Rocky Road".