Greetings from Douglas Lake!
The University of Michigan Biological Station is beautiful year round but there’s something really special about the fall here.
The transition from summer into fall and fall into winter is particularly spectacular. I study how ecosystems recycle nutrients, so the trees losing their leaves in the fall makes this my favorite time of the year.
We have a large number of research groups up here right now conducting research to think about how these transitions into fall and winter change the ecosystems in northern Michigan. One of those scientists is Dr. Inés Ibáñez, a professor in the U-M School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) and co-instructor of the Forest Ecosystems course at UMBS. She has been conducting field research at UMBS for 16 years.
Decomposing leaves are important players in our forest.
Thank you to Karin Rand, my lab manager, for her intensive field work with a hammer corer as part of the long-term, international DIRT project that was started by Dr. Knute Nadelhoffer, a former UMBS director and my predecessor. Be sure to watch this month’s feature video and read the comprehensive news story to understand how these soil core samples can tell a story about carbon storage spanning two decades.
This month we’re proud to introduce you to people we think you should know and celebrate their success.
Moriah Young, a Ph.D. student researcher who has spent five of the last 10 summers at UMBS, is the first co-author of a paper published in the journal Ecology. Read our Q&A with Moriah to learn why she keeps coming back and about her fascinating insect experiment using open-top chambers in the UVB field at UMBS to simulate climate warming.
Plus, meet Dr. Hope K. Haefner, a UMBS alumna and the Harold A. Furlong Professor of Women's Health at the University of Michigan. The OBGYN physician credits her time in northern Michigan at the research and teaching campus — specifically a lichenology class and the late Dr. Howard Crum — for altering the course of her pioneering medical career. Read Hope’s story. (Any UMBS alumni interested in sharing how their experience at the field station impacted their life, please email our storyteller, Chrissy Billau, at cbillau@umich.edu.)
This past weekend the University of Michigan launched its Look to Michigan campaign. I’m proud to report the life-changing, immersive experience for students at the Biological Station is featured in a commercial that started airing during the Michigan game against MSU on the Big Ten Network Oct. 26 and on other promotional materials on display throughout Main Campus, including outside the Big House. I had the honor of speaking at one of the Look to Michigan campaign launch events on Friday called Serving Up Knowledge. It was thrilling to share the UMBS story with Ann Arbor stakeholders and inform them about our sustainability plan to go carbon neutral and offer year-round educational programming.
UMBS Academic Program Manager Candice Everett is actively recruiting students to take courses during the four-week spring and summer terms in 2025. She hired four recent UMBS alumni to serve as ambassadors. Read the UMBS news story to learn why they want to share their experiences at the field station with prospective students. (My favorite quote is from Carma Johnson, a senior at U-M: “I stepped outside of my comfort zone, and, in return, I gained invaluable knowledge and experiences I couldn’t have found elsewhere.”)
Spread the word through your networks: Candice and the UMBS Student Ambassadors are hosting an Information Session in Ann Arbor from 5 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 19, in Dana Building Room 1046 to answer questions about living and learning at the field station as well as scholarships. Students from all universities and majors are welcome. We also plan to host a virtual Information Session in early 2025 and will share those details when they’re set.
Back up north, we are just shy of finishing the dining hall interior renovation project. The flooring and furniture are in place and look amazing. All that’s left is to hang the artwork on the walls. We’re also working on updated artwork in other spaces throughout campus to honor UMBS history and alumni.
We’re thrilled with the progress made over the last few months on a series of projects to revitalize community spaces to increase their flexibility for use in both research and education and enhance the on-campus living and learning experience.
I do need your feedback: We’re testing the waters on the idea of hosting an Alumni Weekend in August 2025. Is there interest from UMBS alumni and friends in returning to the shores of Douglas Lake? Please fill out this online form so we can decide whether to plan the event.
View the full October 2024 newsletter here, including photos of fascinating fungi we found while walking through the woods.
Sincerely,
Dr. Aimée Classen
UMBS Director
