The research activities at Grimsö started in 1974, and is the reason why this year a 50-year jubilee is celebrated. Grimsö was first placed under the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, but since 1992 be placed in the Department of Ecology, SLU.
On May 30 an event was organized at SITES Grimsö Wildlife Research Station where >50 external guests attended, with HM the King Carl XVI Gustav as the guest of honor and with representatives from authorities, funders and stakeholders as well as SLUs Vice-Chancellor Maria Knutson Wedel. Carl XVI Gustav also officially opened the station in a ceremony back in 1974.
The day had a content-rich program with several research presentations and the guests also joined a walking tour where field- and laboratory work was shown and described.
An important part of the station activities is the wildlife monitoring, where some of the 20 surveys were initiated already in the 1970s. Such long data series are unusual in wildlife ecology and some of the surveys at Grimsö have few counterparts even internationally, due to the combination of their longevity and extensive size of the sampled area (most study areas for detailed surveys are way smaller than the 13 000 ha land area at Grimsö).
In connection to the 50-year jubilee, a jubilee book has been published where many of the research topics and activities during the last 20 years are described. The book consists of 77 popular science articles (in Swedish) and will soon be available to order via the Department of Ecology, SLU or when visiting Grimsö.
Pictures: Henrik Andrén (Professor) presents the development of Grimsö and the research activities during last decades (upper left). Madeleine Christensson (Research Engineer) presents the monitoring program for ticks to the King Carl XVI Gustav and the Governor of Örebro County Administrative Board Lena Rådström Baastad (upper right). The jubilee book presenting parts of last decade of research at Grimsö (bottom right), of which the King also got a copy (bottom left). Photos by Gunnar Nilsson.