With a slightly unusual passion and the conviction that the current model
of species evolution for his day could be expanded upon, Dr. Bush began
spending his summers in Door County in 1970. An insect infestation in
the fruit of the local cherry orchards by a species of fly that had previously
only attacked apple and hawthorn trees provided Dr. Bush an ideal field
research opportunity. This type of fly, Rhagoletis pomonella, was Dr.
Bush’s specialty and the entomologist brought his wife and a group
of students from the University of Texas at Austin to Door County to begin
a research project that would evolve into a ground-breaking career and
a permanent connection with the peninsula.
When asked why he chose entomology, Dr. Bush gets a smile on his face
and says, “I have always been interested in the natural world and
insects in particular. And I have always been a collector. When I was
younger we lived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and I would spend my free
time in the rainforest gathering all kinds of wild things – insects,
snakes, birds. I covered the trees in my back yard with orchids and epiphytes
and I installed an aviary on the roof for my bird collection.” Dr.
Bush’s father was working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture
as an Agricultural Attaché. He had posts in Brazil and Cuba during
Guy’s youth. The diverse species that Bush encountered while traveling
with his father in these foreign areas furthered his interest in the natural
world and how it worked.
This fascination propelled Dr. Bush toward studying the biological sciences
in college and eventually into entomology, the study of insects. Dr. Bush
graduated from Iowa State University with a Bachelor of Science in entomology,
which was followed by a Masters of Science from Virginia Polytechnic Institute
and a Ph.D. in biology from Harvard. Dr. Bush also spent two years in
Australia on a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Melbourne.
He brought his wife, Dorie, with him for the two-year stretch. A significant
part of his work was the collection of specimens from the field and this
allowed him to travel throughout Australia. At that time there was only
one road spanning the southern half of the continent and it consisted
of 1,700 miles of flat, arid terrain. So into the wilderness they traveled,
in a Volkswagen Bug. Dorie still chuckles when she thinks of their time
on the road and says, “If you can travel with someone across Australia
AND back again on the same road…”
Dr. Bush was back at Harvard working on his thesis, focused on the formation
of new species, when a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture
caught his eye. The report was about Door County and how the cherry orchards
were being infested with a particular type of fruit fly. This fly just
happened to be the Rhagoletis pomonella. Dr. Bush was curious how this
particular type of fly, which had previously specialized on apple and
hawthorn fruits, would be able to establish a population on cherries so
quickly. He was also curious to discover if this was indeed the same type
of fly or if it had undergone genetic changes that would indicate an entirely
new host race or species. Though he would not be able to venture to Wisconsin
for the next few years, the opportunity was never far from his mind.
In 1970, Dr. Bush was an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas
at Austin and the time to pursue research in the north had come. He and
Dorie decided to come to the peninsula for the summer to begin the field
research project, one that would end up lasting until 1992. Bush and his
students began a series of ongoing tests at the Peninsular Agricultural
Research Station located just north of Sturgeon Bay. They began by attempting
to determine if the species of Rhagoletis pomonella fly present here was
the same as elsewhere. Through extensive testing and time in both the
field and laboratory, Bush and his students were able to draw the conclusion
that the cherry fruit flies were genetically different from the apple
and hawthorn fruit flies.
Once this distinction was made, the study shifted in nature to discover
just how these flies had changed so rapidly. Conventional wisdom was that
it would take many thousands of years for a geographically-isolated population
to evolve into a new species. The research that Dr. Bush was conducting
in Door County directly challenged this theory, as it supported a theory
termed “sympatric speciation.” Sympatric speciation was a
little-known and less-supported theory of evolution that allowed for the
possibility of rapid evolution through the ecological separation of populations
and rapid adaptation to new resources through genetic modifications. With
evidence from his work in Door County, Dr. Bush was able to demonstrate
that new species can evolve in a very short time in the absence of geographic
isolation. This provided insight into the origin of the large number of
separate insect species on our planet, as well as providing solid proof
of the sympatric speciation model of evolution.
The revolutionary attributes and high caliber of Dr. Bush’s body
of work opened the door to academic opportunities all over the world.
As a visiting Fellow and Professor, Dr. Bush held positions in Switzerland,
Brazil, Germany, England (Oxford) and Puerto Rico. His field research
also took him to remote areas worldwide. Through all of his travels, though,
Door County remained a constant, as the ongoing research project brought
him back to the county almost yearly.
As Guy, Dorie and their three children journeyed back to the peninsula
summer after summer, Door County became firmly lodged in the fabric of
their family. Through the years they stayed in various places, from the
(now disappeared) Val of Valhalla campground near Carlsville to North
Coral Hill road in Ephraim. In 1987, the Bushes purchased a home in Ephraim.
Hiking the peninsula (whether to collect specimens or just for fun), sailing
the waters of Green Bay and spending evenings around the fire with friends
made for memorable and enjoyable summers. The Bushes have been active
members of the Ephraim summer community and Dr. Bush was Commodore of
the Ephraim Yacht Club from 1985 to 1986. When it came time to retire,
Guy and Dorie chose Ephraim as their permanent home base. These days Dr.
Bush is more often found painting the landscape of the peninsula, rather
than traversing it in hiking boots. He has taken his talent for sketching,
honed from many years of drawing the insect specimens he was studying
under the microscope, and transferred it to a new medium. Classes at the
Peninsula Art School and with local artist Ed Fenendael have helped him
develop his skill, and the inspiring views from his windows and his love
of art are evident in his work. Dr. Bush is still active in the world
of Biological Sciences, however, holding an Adjunct Professorship at the
University of Texas at Austin in Integrative Biology during the winter
months. But, in the summer, Guy and Dorie are to be found in Door County,
the place that the right insect led them to.
