AP Environmental Science Students Attend Nobel Conference

Many AP Environmental Science students from Stillwater Area High School recently expanded their learning environment when they attended the 59th Annual Nobel Conference at Gustavus Adolphus College titled "Insects: Small bodies Big Impact" on Oct. 3-4. 

Students not only had the opportunity to visit a college campus through the experience, but were active attendees at the Nobel Conference at Gustavus Adolphus College. This event was the first conference program in the world to be given the official authorization of The Nobel Foundation, Stockholm, and is still the only conference in the United States to carry the Nobel name. "Since 1965, the Nobel Conference has been bringing leading researchers and thinkers to Gustavus, to explore revolutionary, transformative and pressing scientific issues and the ethical questions that arise alongside them". (https://gustavus.edu/events/nobelconference/2023/)

This year's Nobel Conference topic was about one of the most important components of almost all ecosystems on Earth, insects! Insects serve incredibly important roles within ecosystems. Just to name a few, insects help to maintain healthy and nutrient rich soil, recycle important nutrients, pollinate flowers and crops, and even can help control pests. 

At this years Nobel Conference, our SAHS students were able to hear talks from Dr. Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson, Professor of Conservation Biology, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, and Scientific Advisor, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Segenet Kelemu, Director of International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), Nairobi, Kenya, and Julie Lesnik, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Wayne State University.  

In between presentations, students attended panel discussions between all of the presenters of the conference. While some of the presenters discussed the importance of insects within ecosystems, others were proponents of and presented data on using insects to offset food insecurity around the world. While not all of the students in attendance will go on to become entomologists that study insects, they will carry with them the appreciation of the importance of insects for all life on Earth. 

Although SAHS students might not raise insects for food this year, next week they will be traveling to Brown’s Creek in Stillwater, Minn. to collect macroinvertebrates (including insects) and to perform water quality testing. The collection, analysis, and cataloging of the macroinvertebrates will provide insight into the health of Brown's Creek.  

To learn more about the Nobel Conference, visit: https://gustavus.edu/events/nobelconference/2023/