The Natural History of Grinnell College

The subject line was "bugs and volleyball." The date, 23 July 2013. The recipients, myself and my colleague, Professor of Biology Jackie Brown.

"I just walked past the sand v-ball cts on campus and saw them swarming with thousands of small wasps. Stripey, bit smaller than yellow jackets, flying an inch or two over the sand but not the surrounding grass, squabbling/mating? I think they are spider hunters but didn't see any possible prey there. Anyway, not a good day to play volleyball."

In this way did Grinnell College Professor of Anthropology John Whittaker--along with dozens of buzzing Bembecines--inspire this blog. 

The Natural History of Grinnell College is a place for sharing observations, questions, and research related to the natural environment of Grinnell College, home to roughly 1600 undergraduates, a few hundred faculty and staff, and a surprising diversity of other living things, which we find fascinating. We hope you do, too.

2008 BIO 368 students Brian Perbix and Ben Iberle, on the hunt