PELLSTON, Mich. — Storms gave way to sunshine Tuesday, May 19, at the University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS) in time for the arrival of more than 50 students, hauling luggage into cabins and settling in along the shore of Douglas Lake for the start of spring term.

For Willem DeGood, pulling into the historic campus in the Northwoods and hearing the call of a loon felt like coming home.

Willem DeGood, a junior studying economics and PitE at U-M, unpacked his pillow during spring move-in at UMBS on May 19.

“I grew up in environments like this,” said the Traverse City native who studies economics and Program in the Environment (PitE) as a rising junior at the University of Michigan. ”Just the idea of being able to take the Ecology Lab class and deepen my understanding of the place I’ve known my whole life sounded like an amazing experience.”

Students like Grant Regan-Loomis, though, are getting their first taste of northern Michigan’s natural beauty and diverse ecosystems through UMBS. Students from all over the country come together on the Pellston campus to take field courses six days a week for four weeks.

Grant Regan-Loomis, left, built a portable flux tower along Douglas Lake on May 21 during the first day of class in the Observation and Modeling of Climate Change Biology course. The portable metal structure holds different sensors and computers to measure atmospheric data and environmental conditions.

“I transferred to U-M from Vassar College, a small, private college in New York last year, and that was my first year in Michigan,” said Regan-Loomis, a senior studying ecology and evolutionary biology (EEB). “Everyone I talked to in the EEB major said, ‘If you have the opportunity to attend Biostation you have to.’ Even people outside of the major had heard something about it. I did research for two minutes and saw the opportunities here and knew, ‘I’m going.’”

This spring, Regan-Loomis is enrolled in the Forest Ecosystems: Ecology, Conservation and Management course as well as Observation and Modeling of Climate Change Biology.

He’d been eager to take a trip up north sooner but found it challenging to make the long drive during the fall and winter semesters based in Ann Arbor.

RAs Ellanor May, right, a junior who studies psychology at U-M, Sofia Barreiro, middle, a senior majoring in ecology and evolutionary biology at U-M, and Alyssa Pitsch, left, a junior majoring in environment at U-M, tape up a name tag on a cabin on May 19.

“I really want to spend time with the water in the Upper Peninsula — it’s so different from any other place you can explore,” Regan-Loomis said.

The U-M Biological Station is one of the nation's largest and longest continuously operating field research stations, located about 20 miles south of the Mackinac Bridge at the northern tip of the state’s Lower Peninsula.

UMBS academic courses feature the opportunity to do hands-on research in forests, rivers, lakes and wetlands. Plus, students live and learn alongside scientists from around the world who converge on the field station each spring and summer for research projects.

It’s not strictly the research and networking opportunities that appeal to undergraduate students, but also the intersection of disciplines.

Pavit Saini, a sophomore majoring in data science and environment at the University of Michigan, organized his room on spring move-in day.

“I’m interested in the intersection between data science and PitE,” said Pavit Saini, a sophomore double majoring in data science and PitE at U-M. “I would love to be an environmental analyst, and the Biostation was a great place to build on that.”

For others focused on the humanities, the access to unfettered nature on the U-M Biological Station’s more than 10,000 forested acres provides inspiration and insight.

“I did New England Literature Program (NELP), and to me it seemed very similar,” said Isobel Tosterud, a recent Michigan graduate who majored in English and women and gender studies. “Nature and writing, they kind of go hand in hand. I’m excited to hopefully spend a lot of time writing.”

During her stay at UMBS, Tosterud is taking two courses: Ethnobotany and Conservation Biology in Practice.

Carson LaVanway, a sophomore studying ecology and evolutionary biology at U-M, carried a full tote to unpack in his cabin.

No matter their academic background or goals, these students will live in cabins for the next month, explore the wilderness together, and be immersed in the UMBS community. The calendar of social events includes a square dance and a talent show.

“I’m really looking forward to the people and the community,” Tosterud said. “Everyone is here because they love the outdoors. There will be a lot of people with similar interests.”

Regan-Loomis appreciates the small, tight-knit camaraderie where you share meals with your professors and classmates and ride together in vans to a variety of field sites.

Grant Regan-Loomis, a senior at the University of Michigan who studies ecology, evolution and biodiversity, unpacked his car during move-in on May 19.

“The University of Michigan is so big, it can be hard to find your people,” Regan-Loomis said. “I went from a total class size of 500 at Vassar to a single class size of 500 in Ann Arbor. The Biostation brings together passionate people with the same interest, and I’m excited to learn from them.”

Spring term for UMBS ends June 18. UMBS will welcome another cohort for the summer term starting June 30.

It’s not too late for U-M Ann Arbor students to apply for the summer term. The final application deadline is May 30.  Go to the UMBS website to review courses and apply.

 

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.

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A pair of loons watched the move-in activity at the University of Michigan Biological Station on May 19. Cabins, classrooms and laboratories are nestled along Douglas Lake.
A blanket of trillium was in bloom next to some of the cabins where students moved in for the spring term on May 19.
UMBS students took a break from orientation activities on May 20 to play basketball on campus along the Douglas Lake shore.
UMBS Associate Director Karie Slavik led a group of students on a hike to the Gorge on May 20 and discussed the ecosystem history of northern Michigan along the trails.
A group of UMBS students played volleyball after dinner on May 21.