“At the Lab I learned that scientists can not live and work alone if they intend to effect change. To this day, my extended Lab family has given me many opportunities and the much needed, loving encouragement to carry on my work.”
— Theo Colborn
Author, Our Stolen Future
Science in Action: Research Areas
The Lab is known for work on the interactions between pollinators, such as birds, bees, and moths, and the plants they visit. Introduced honeybees do not survive around the Lab because of the short growing season. Consequently the Lab has attracted a number of scientists interested in pollination. Access to the streams around Gothic as well to the immense amount of information about these streams continues to attract scientists interested in understanding how streams work.
Long-term datasets assembled at the Lab make it possible to detect changes in plants and animals. The data is leading to an understanding on how climate may be affecting them. Additionally, Dr. John Harte began a climate change study in 1991 that allows scientists to make projections about the future. This wealth of information, when combined with a mountain ecosystem that is sensitive to change, provides an extraordinary opportunity to understand how our world is changing.
Other significant areas of research include butterflies, animal behavior, marmot research, ant-insect mutualisms, and pond research.