Environmental Studies Sustainability Scholar Hedi Madhu ’27 (Photo by Olivia Braun ’27)
Hedi Madhu ’27 and Olivia Wangerow ’28 begin their morning by greeting Jack, the resident dog at Branstool Orchards, before heading for the rows of trees that line the outskirts of the orchard, keeping their eyes peeled along the way for any insects that might emerge from beneath the leaves.
The two Kenyon students, who hail from New York City and Chicago, respectively, traded city living for a summer exploring four local apple orchards as part of a research project led by Lauren Schmitt, the Dorothy and Thomas Jegla Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies.
Each morning, Madhu and Wangerow stop by one of the orchards they are studying and inspect bug types, measure grass, and, most importantly, observe flowers. These flowers, which the duo methodically placed in the orchards at the beginning of the summer, are comprised of two species of Coreopsis, commonly referred to as tickseed, which resemble small, yellow daisies.
Madhu is focused on how the location of the flowers — either at the edge of the orchard or deep in the interior of the trees — impacts the insect community. Wangerow, is investigating if these flowers bring more predators, such as wasps and spiders, to the orchards as a form of natural pest control.
Together, their data creates a broader picture of the orchards. “We’re trying to understand how insect communities would impact the apple trees and the larger apple orchards, and how they influence people who are trying to sell their apples,” Wangerow said.
The two researchers, who also happen to live together this summer, banter back and forth as they tie sticky yellow cards to each tree. The cards, which are collected a week later covered in a multitude of insects, will eventually be analyzed back at Kenyon to see exactly who is interacting with these trees.
Madhu and Wangerow have become highly adept at discovering small, almost translucent orange bugs known as thrips, and the brightly colored leafhopper, both of which appear on the sticky cards frequently and are harmful to Ohio apple trees.
The excited chatter stops, however, when the two begin their flower observations, a process that involves silence and concentration. Madhu and Wangerow crouch in the grass, clipboards in hand, and closely observe each flower for three minutes, eagerly waiting to see if they can catch sight of any insects.
The process is repeated many times, going from the edge of the field to the center. Only when the routine is complete do they resume chatting again, talking about their latest finds.
This discussion and collaboration is a crucial part of their research. For Schmitt, having two students working together is a huge advantage. “No one does science by themselves — or, very few people do good science by themselves,” she said.
For Madhu and Wangerow, this collaboration goes beyond the theoretical; it has practical implications for these orchards and many others just like them. As Madhu put it, “Environmental studies is not just conceptual, it’s actually actionable.”
Wangerow agreed: “Because a lot of the projects we do at Kenyon are very rooted in the green spaces we have around us, what we find can actually be used by the orchards.”
Their hours of hard work — among the trees and in the lab — could open doors for orchards to use fewer pesticides and rely more on naturally occurring processes. Which means one thing for certain: Madhu and Wangerow are working not just for the good of the orchards, but for the good of the communities, both human and insect, they sustain.
This article was written by Olivia Braun ’27 as part of the Hoskins Frame Summer Science Writing Scholars program.
