Ordinarily, the sounds of gravel beneath van wheels, happy chatter and introductions, and the inaugural clang of the dinner bell are unremarkable: these are the standard backing tracks for the first day of spring term at UMBS.

But for returning staff and researchers, the “ordinary” sounds of student life are heard through fresh – and somewhat sentimental – ears. This year marks the first in-person spring term at UMBS since 2019. That means a return to conversations and camaraderie in the dining hall, epic tournaments on the volleyball court, and the magic that happens when eager undergraduates gather to learn science in a special place.

“It’s very reassuring to again sense the special energy that only students can bring to this community,” says UMBS Associate Director Karie Slavik. “We are thrilled to be able to be together again in this remarkable place.”

On Saturday, May 21, 61 students piled into U-M issued minivans and made the trek from Ann Arbor to Pellston. They participated in an orientation weekend featuring a camp tour, introductory information about the region’s Indigenous residents, nature hike with practical information on staying safe in the field, and a campfire with s’mores by the lake – activities designed to give all students, especially those new to the rustic outdoor setting, a deeper knowledge of and comfort with the station.

Now, this newest generation of “Bug Campers” are embarking on the four-week academic term. By the end, students will have completed two 3-credit courses in General Ecology, Ethnobotany, Organismal Diversity, and/or Agroecology.

Scenes from spring term student check-in. Photo: Alicia Farmer
UMBS teaching assistants led a hike of “The Gorge” as part of orientation. Photo: Carson Brown

Summer term, which will begin in late June and also be entirely in-person, will follow the same four-week model, designed to minimize cost and allow students to participate in internships, jobs, and other summer obligations. Summer term courses include General Ecology, Biology and Ecology of Fishes, Field Mammalogy, Microbes in the Wild, Forest Ecosystems, and the humanities based Great Lakes Arts, Cultures, and Environments (GLACE) program. Late summer at UMBS will feature short field extensions of semester-long classes taught in Ann Arbor: Field Remote Sensing, Pharmaceutical Discovery from Cyanobacteria, Florilegium, and Rhetoric in Our Worlds: Field Research on Language and Power.

No matter the session, students will – as always – be busy sampling lakes, measuring trees, counting critters, and learning from the living laboratory surrounding the station. 

Laughter. Spring peepers. The splash! of someone jumping into Douglas Lake after a long day in the field. The eerily beautiful evening call of loons. Familiar sounds of student life at UMBS are back, and like a favorite song unplayed for too long – sweeter than ever. 

For more on spring, summer, and late-summer classes at UMBS, visit our course page.

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