Happy New Year!
We are strapping on our snowshoes and taking bold steps at the University of Michigan Biological Station to transform our vision into action.
January roared in along Douglas Lake with brutal wind, lots of snow and the groundwork for new research infrastructure targeting Changing Winters — a growing area of study that matters deeply to ecosystem and human health.
On the first day of 2026, I joined Dr. Claire Pettersen as she scouted spots to build precipitation sensors at UMBS. Petterson is an assistant professor of climate and space sciences and engineering at U-M (CLaSP) and a member of the UMBS Advisory Board. Her work about what’s falling from the sky is fascinating, including a recent study showing that there are nine different types of precipitation between rain and snow, ranging from drizzle to heavy snowfall. I’m excited to see what she learns here at UMBS as she advances her investigation of cold-season precipitation processes, cloud properties, and snowfall regimes using ground-based, airborne, and satellite observations. (You may have read about her work in National Geographic last week.)
Our leadership team at UMBS just submitted some big ideas to answer a call from the University of Michigan. Look to Michigan’s field research station to plow innovative roads to a sustainable future. We don’t know if our proposals will be selected, but they spell out the path for UMBS going forward around science, carbon-neutrality, campus-as-lab, place-based learning, and community engagement.
Stay tuned for a big year.
We are hosting the inaugural Jack Pine Research Symposium next month. UMBS is an inspiring setting to share knowledge and chart the future of research and management in Michigan. Jack pine barrens are imperiled, fire-dependent ecosystems that occur in central and northern Michigan and host numerous rare plant and animal species, including the Kirtland’s warbler. From ornithology to fire ecology, the complex community of researchers, forest managers and conservationists focused on jack pine ecosystems are invited to come together for the two-day event Feb. 19-20.
Spring and summer term academic courses are open for enrollment. Please encourage students in your network to apply for courses at this paradise of place-based learning before they fill up. We welcome students from universities all over the world. Let them know Candice Everett, the academic program manager, is hosting an Information Session on Zoom 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 29.
Candice is the focus of our feature profile this month. An amazing member of our staff, Candice has been instrumental in our ability to dream about taking UMBS educational programs year-round and to think about how they should grow and change to maintain our reputation as the best place-based education an undergraduate can get. Plus, she has a creative hobby that incorporates UMBS data! Read her story.
When it comes to research, we start students early. UMBS is accepting applications for undergraduate research fellowships, which include a mentor for eight weeks and a $5,500 stipend. The fellowship also covers housing, dining and research fees. Read the mentor and project list for the 2026 field season.
And here’s one more reminder to graduate students and faculty researchers to submit their research proposals and fellowship applications: The deadline is Feb. 1, and the opportunities are endless.
If you could use a summer escape from the winter freeze, meet Kaira Schaefer, a U-M master’s student researcher. Watch the video released by U-M LSA Advancement this month showcasing Kaira’s UMBS fieldwork that reveals how mites help wild grapes.
I leave you with exciting news: our final fundraising numbers for calendar year 2025. We raised nearly $415,000 — a 67% increase from 2024. (6-7! Apt for the year.) Thank you to all 238 donors who are fueling our future, expanding discovery, and tipping the scales on what is possible.
Read the full January 2026 newsletter to view photos of the Pellston campus immersed in snow.
Sincerely,
Dr. Aimee Classen
UMBS Director
