PELLSTON, Mich. — Mark your calendars for this Wednesday, March 18.

The historic classrooms at the University of Michigan Biological Station serve as home base for immersive, field-based courses—but they’re aging and need your help.

On Giving Blueday 2026, make a direct and lasting impact to student experience at the vast, remote campus in northern Michigan by enhancing these critical buildings nestled along Douglas Lake, from Sparrow and Reighard to Houghton and Hungerford.

Many classrooms need upgrades, including:

  • New window screens and chairs for comfort and functionality
  • Roof, ceiling, and electrical replacements to ensure safety and reliability

Your donation to the Biological Station Sustainable Design Fund allows us to immediately improve these spaces, supporting hands-on education and research in this paradise of place-based learning.

To make a donation on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, go to the University of Michigan Biological Station’s Giving Blueday website. You can also track our progress at that website throughout the day.

We’ll remind UMBS supporters via social media and email on Wednesday how they can participate in U-M’s annual 24-hour fundraiser that increases a donor’s impact through matching challenges.

It’s a fun opportunity to show love for UMBS and be competitive with other departments and units in Ann Arbor.

Thanks to UMBS donors, your gift doubles. On Giving Blueday, all gifts to UMBS will be matched 1:1 up to $1,000.

Plus, there are several power hours. From 10 to 11 a.m. EST, 2 to 3 p.m., 5 to 7 p.m., 9 to 10 p.m., 10 to 11 p.m. and 11 p.m. to 11:59 p.m., the school, college or unit fund that receives the most gifts in the one-hour window from unique donors will receive an additional $1,000.

Starting at midnight, first-time U-M donors who give $50 or more will receive a match of $50.

Throughout the day, current U-M students who give $25 or more will receive a match of $25.

Last year (2025), the University of Michigan Biological Station raised $24,753 from 88 donors in only 24 hours on U-M’s annual day of giving in March. That is the most UMBS has raised on Giving Blueday in the event’s history.

 

The University of Michigan Biological Station serves as a gathering place to learn from the natural world, advance research and education, and inspire action. We leverage over a century of research and transformative experiences to drive discoveries and solutions to benefit Michigan and beyond.

Our vast campus engages all of the senses. Its remote, natural setting nurtures deep thought and scientific discovery.

Founded in 1909, UMBS supports long-term research and education through immersive, field-based courses and features state-of-the-art equipment and facilities for data collection and analysis to help any field researcher be productive. It is where students and scientists from across the globe live and work as a community to learn from the place.

Subscribe to the UMBS monthly e-newsletter and follow the field station on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and X (formerly Twitter).