About Backyard Berry
Backyard Berry is a website functioning app that is available for the residents and tourists of the Great Lakes Region. The purpose of this website is to provide people with knowledge on location, type, and preventative measures for the overall health of berries in this region. When users provide data on these topics they get submitted to the sites creators, the information then gets collected to be kept track of for the impact berries have on local culture. We hope this app helps to share the wide diversity of berries in the Great Lakes region and the importance of protecting their health. We hope that users will find out more about picking opportunities and that we will learn more from berry pickers about the many ways berries are appreciated throughout the region.Our Scientists
Angie Carter is a rural sociologist working at Michigan Tech University’s Department of Social Sciences as an assistant professor of Environmental and Energy Justice. She studies local food systems, community sustainability, and social change. You can contact her at ancarter@mtu.edu or (906) 487-1431 (office).
Tara Bal is a forest entomologist and mycologist at Michigan Tech University’s College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science. She studies forest health issues and teaches a wide variety of coursework from professional forestry and insect ecology to wild foods and maple syrup. You can reach her at tlbal@mtu.edu or (906) 487-1898.
Erika Hershe-Green is a plant ecologist and geneticist working at Michigan Tech University’s Department of Biological Sciences as an assistant professor. She is interested in understanding what factors affect biodiversity patterns and her research examines how living and non-living components of environments impact organisms, populations, and community dynamics. You can contact her at eherschg@mtu.edu or (906) 487-3351 (office).