James Wolfin

Graduate student James Wolfin was recently featured in a StarTribune article - Program to pay Minnesota homeowners to let their lawn go to the bees. In it, he discusses how homeowners can have lawns, but still provide nectar resources for pollinators.  His research on bee lawns is a joint project from the University of Minnesota Turfgrass Science team and the University of Minnesota Bee Lab.

Graduate student James Wolfin was recently featured in an article - Save the bees (and time and money) by creating a bee lawn - in the Washington Post. It has highlights from his research on bee lawns, a joint project from The University of Minnesota Turfgrass Science team and the University of Minnesota Bee Lab.

Hole Notes, a publication by the Minnesota Golf Course Superintendents Association (MGCSA), recently featured our team in several articles.  Graduate students James Wolfin and Hannah Ramer wrote an in-depth article on University of Minnesota research on bee lawns titled Redesign Your Rough (and driving range): Implementing Conservation Practices in Low-Use Areas to Support Pollinators. There is also a great photo spread on the Turf and Grounds Field Day held on August 9, 2018 with the Minnesota Turf and Grounds Foundation.

The TURF & GROUNDS FIELD DAY is back on the St. Paul campus this year as the University of Minnesota once again partners with the Minnesota Turf and Grounds Foundation to produce this popular event at TROE Center and UFore Nursery.

MAKE PLANS TO JOIN US ON THURS., AUG. 9 for outdoor education presented by University of Minnesota faculty and staff working in turfgrass science, horticulture and forestry. The Field Day will run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., with presentation topics ranging from turfgrass species for natural areas to disease management in turf and trees. 

Check out our team’s latest efforts in educating the public about our work.  We have a newscast segment, a video, several podcasts and an article!

WCCO’s Good Question: What Does This Extended Winter Mean for Our Lawns? featuring Sam Bauer

Beyond Beekeeping podcast interview by Mindy Holahan Peters featuring James Wolfin

What are our former graduate students, postdocs and researchers doing now?

Sam Bauer received an M.Sc. in Applied Plant Sciences in 2011. His thesis work focused on late fall nitrogen fertilization and methods for increasing creeping bentgrass in golf course fairways. Later, he joined UMN Extension as Extension Educator for turfgrass, a position he held until 2018. He is now the executive director of the North Central Turfgrass Association and a consultant, working on a number of turf-related projects in Minnesota and the surrounding states.

By James Wolfin and Phoebe Koenig - UMN Bee Lab

By James Wolfin, Graduate Research Assistant

The turf lawn accounts for nearly 2% of the continental United States land cover, and has become engrained in the architecture of many United States neighborhoods and landscapes.  As urban and suburban areas continue to expand, we can expect this number to increase as many yards, store fronts, and commercial buildings are installed to accompany properties.