Public Perceptions of Wild Berry Crops and an Invasive Species Pest Threat in Rural Michigan

Overview

Michigan Technological University The Upper Peninsula of Michigan (UP) is a region heavily dependent upon agritourism. The population has a high percentage of Native Americans and Finnish Americans, and a median household income that is below the Michigan average. During the summer of 2019, a study was conducted in the western UP concerning local knowledge of berries a new invasive fruit fly, Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD, Drosophila suzukii). SWD infests fruit before it is ripe, meaning that it is already inside the berries when they are harvested, and can make it ripen faster. Sampled berries from the UP contained SWD larvae. A demographic survey was used to determine public knowledge of SWD and local berry practices. Out of 45 completed surveys, only one reported that they did not pick berries. Over 75% of respondents began picking berries in their youth and have continued throughout their life. This shows that berries are ingrained into the local culture. Furthermore, the surveys confirmed that many people pick berries as an costsaving way to obtain healthy food. Determining the distance to the close binary star AL Sculptoris Maya Beleznay Pine Crest School Fort Lauderdale, Florida Supervising Scientist: Walter V. Hamme Florida International University This paper presents the light curves in the uvby bands of the Strömgren photometric system, and the velocity curve for the close binary star AL Sculptoris (AL Scl). Models for light and velocity curves were fitted using the Wilson- Devinney light curve and differential corrections programs, which use the method of least squares to fit the periodically varying light and velocity data for the system. Four different parameter computations, obtained from each of the combinations of three light bands, yielded a mean distance of 235±0.6 pc. This distance is well within the standard error of the distance of 234.4±7.0 pc found by the Gaia satellite, information that was publicly released in the mission’s second data release date in May 2018. These findings allow AL Scl to be used as a standard candle for distance determination, and they strengthen the viability of using light and velocity curve modeling as a method of distance determination for distant stellar objects.