The Oka’ Institute, in partnership with East Central University, is documenting native bee diversity across the City of Ada research property throughout the 2026 flowering season. This project will create a comprehensive inventory of pollinator species and track their activity over time, providing critical insight into ecosystem health and resilience. By understanding when and where native bees are most active, this research supports long-term conservation strategies and strengthens our knowledge of pollinator networks essential to both natural systems and agricultural productivity.

Through the Oka-VUE initiative, high-definition drone imagery is being captured across the City of Ada research property to create a detailed, georeferenced visual dataset. This mapping effort provides a foundational layer for ongoing and future research, allowing scientists to better interpret biological, hydrological, soil, and vegetation data and make informed, data-driven decisions for sustainable land and water management.

This research evaluates the health of aquatic ecosystems connected to Byrd’s Mill Spring and nearby Blue River tributaries by studying fish and macroinvertebrate communities. These organisms serve as key biological indicators, helping assess water quality and ecosystem integrity while providing insight into how these systems function and respond to environmental change.

A long-term wildlife monitoring system is being established using camera traps across the research property to track feral hog activity and document other wildlife species. This work provides valuable data on habitat use, movement patterns, and ecological disturbance to support informed land management decisions.

This study examines how proximity to cattle grazing areas may influence the microbial composition of well water on the City of Ada property. By analyzing bacterial communities and linking findings to geographic data, the research helps inform sustainable land management practices that protect groundwater resources.

This project documents flowering plant species while developing a detailed pollen reference library. By tracking plant diversity and flowering patterns, the research also analyzes plant–pollinator relationships and ecosystem resilience, creating a valuable resource for conservation and education.

Focusing on red oak trees, this study explores how herbivorous insect communities change between seasons and how those changes relate to leaf chemistry. The research provides insight into relationships between plant health and insect diversity, contributing to broader understanding of forest ecosystems.

This project establishes a monitoring program to evaluate soil and water quality across the City of Ada property. Data will be integrated into GIS mapping systems to identify areas of concern and support targeted, science-based management strategies.