Good morning!
We have a big reason to celebrate here at the University of Michigan Biological Station. Our research bibliography just soared past 3,500 entries!
Since UMBS was founded back in 1909, scientists and students have contributed everything from peer-reviewed journal articles to dissertations and theses to our ever-growing library of knowledge.
It’s amazing when you think about it. This bibliography isn’t just a list. It’s our foundation and our legacy. It’s a treasure trove featuring the work of generations of researchers.
Some entries are true classics and changed how we look at the natural world entirely, like those from Dr. Henry Gleason, one of the most influential plant ecologists of all time. He was the director of UMBS in 1915 (after serving as acting director in 1913 and 1914), and his research here was formative for his individualistic concept of plant community ecology. (Peruse some of his papers here.)
Did you know a graduate student published the very first UMBS research paper in 1910?
At the suggestion of Dr. Jacob Reighard, the first UMBS director, Cora D. Reeves made it her summer’s research work in 1909 to determine how to destroy black fly larvae after a black fly problem postponed the opening of campus by one week that inaugural year. Cora published “A Remedy for the Black Fly Pest in Certain Streams of the Southern Peninsula of Michigan” in the Report of the Michigan Academy of Science based on her 1909 field study. Thank you to UMBS Data Manager Jason Tallant for making her 116-year-old research paper available for you to read here. You also can find it on page 77 of the full Michigan Academy of Science report.
Reeves received a doctorate from U-M in zoology in 1917 and went on to start the Biology Department at Ginling College in China, the first Chinese institution to grant B.S. degrees to women in China.
Over the next century here at UMBS, we went on to make particularly big waves in limnology (UMBS course instructor Dr. Paul Welch wrote the first comprehensive English-language textbook on the topic) and carbon fluxes in the atmosphere, to name just a few examples. I can’t help but feel a surge of excitement imagining where we’ll go next and how we’ll keep building on this momentum.
Our massive research output further establishes us as a leader among powerhouse field stations across the country.
Field stations are essential. They help us unravel the mysteries of the natural world, push the boundaries of sustainability, and help us better understand the web of connections with humans and the environment. And we don’t do it alone. Collaboration is critical, whether it’s with colleagues in Ann Arbor or around the world. Reaching milestones like this is a testament to the hard work, curiosity and teamwork of everyone involved. Let’s take a moment to be proud of our past and get excited for the future!
I also want to celebrate Giovanna Munoz-Gonzalez, a first-year master’s student at U-M who presented her UMBS work on Feb. 19 in Ann Arbor at the U-M Puentes Research Symposium during 2026 Latine Research Week. Her research is a part of a global network of sites looking at Disturbance and Recovery Across Grasslands. Giovanna’s work focuses on understanding the individual and combined impacts of disturbance and nutrient addition on plant communities and ecosystem function across a growing season, work completed last summer at UMBS. She will be back again this summer to continue her research.
It has been a snowy, busy month in Pellston. UMBS Resident Biologist Adam Schubel did a spectacular job last week co-hosting the first-ever Jack Pine Research Symposium at UMBS, in collaboration with Huron Pines and the Northern Pine Plains Partnership. Nearly 40 researchers, forest managers, and conservationists gathered along Douglas Lake to tackle the tricky business of protecting Michigan’s jack pine forests and the rare species they support, like the famously recovering Kirtland’s warbler.
Presentations covered everything from Indigenous “cultural fire” history to new research about jack pines’ seasonal changes, known as the “spring dip.” We also received support from Ann Arbor. Dr. Nate Sanders, an ant ecologist and the chair of the U-M Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, spotlighted the two most common ants in Michigan’s dry sand prairies and the need for more research on the population sizes of their nests as well as the ants’ interactions with pine trees. Read about the conference in the UMBS story.
A 1980 UMBS alumnus returned to campus for the Jack Pine Research Symposium. Robert Ayotte is now the president of the Michigan Botanical Society. He took two courses at UMBS 46 years ago: Boreal Flora with Professor Edward G. Voss and Bryophytes with Professor Howard A. Crum. He even wrote a song titled “The Bryophyte Blues” and performed it at the Talent Show before the summer term ended. Read Robert’s reflections on UMBS memories and impact in our Alumni Success story.
As a proud Michigan mom, I want to share with you the words from a fellow Michigan mom after she drove from Grand Rapids to Pellston last July to pick up her daughter Rachel from UMBS. Rachel took two courses immersed in nature during her four-week stay on campus: General Ecology Lab and General Ecology Lecture.
“This is a very different side of the University of Michigan that I have not seen. It’s inspiring,” said Amy Williamson. “She has found her people. I am thrilled about that.”
Rachel is a junior at U-M now. She studies ecology and evolutionary biology. She also is in the Michigan Marching Band.
Hear from students who, like Rachel, were transformed by their experiences at UMBS in our feature video this month. And let students in your network know they can get credit for going outside the classroom, use Michigan’s Northwoods as their lab, and make connections and friendships that last a lifetime. We welcome students from universities around the world. Apply today for 2026 spring and summer terms!
One final heads up: Next month is Giving Blueday. Mark your calendars for March 18 and bookmark this page. This year we’re raising money for upgrades to our historic classrooms, like new chairs and window screens, as well as roof, ceiling and electrical replacements. From Sparrow and Reighard to Houghton and Hungerford, please help us improve these aging spaces and support hands-on education and research in this paradise of place-based learning. Read the full February 2026 newsletter.
Sincerely, Dr. Aimée Classen
Director |
