The Dairy Bush

Numerous researchers on campus use the Dairy Bush as, “Natural Laboratory”. One such project seeks to document the numerous arthropod species that are resident there. 

This term, you will become familiar with the Dairy Bush - but remember that will only be a small window of time to see this woodlot and the flora and fauna which live there.   Here is a look at one of the most abundant plants in the Bush - but one only visible above ground in the spring. The trout-lily (Erythronium americanum) is abundant throughout the Dairy Bush - but you likely won't see it unless you visit in the spring

To help you gain a better understanding of the Dairy Bush through the seasons and years, you can explore a gallery of GigaPans that have been taken every week in the Dairy Bush since 2009.

Dairy Bush Field


The old field environment beside the Dairy Bush is slated for "re-purposing" and residential development. First, see if you can locate the Dairy Bush in the Figure ES.2 from the Campus Master Plan below - and then see if you can find the field.  Then, find the Plant Meadow Bug (Insecta, Hemiptera, Miridae) in the field today.

After exploring the Dairy Bush field in June - watch and listen to Dr. Doug Larson describe one surprising element of the field that you may not see at first: it is full of trees.  Dr. Larson will also explain his perspective about the plans the University has for the development of this field.

Below you can see some of the species that currently make the field their home - on a stem of goldenrod (Solidago sp.) there is an ant (Formica exsectoides) tending a spittle bug or froghopper (Hemiptera, Auchenorrhyncha).

Beneath this - you'll see a video of another ant species (of the same genus, Formica) tending aphids (Hemiptera; Aphididae) on burdock (Arctium minus)