Get an up close look at U of M Biological Station during open house

PELLSTON — If you’re curious about the scientific work taking place at the University of Michigan Biological Station, an open house on Sunday will let visitors get an up close look at their ongoing projects and research.

The University of Michigan Biological Station (UMBS) is located near Pellston, with laboratories and cabins tucked into 10,000 acres along Douglas Lake. The station has been in operation since 1909 and it functions as a place for researchers to conduct their work studying the ecosystem of Northern Michigan, as well as a place for students to learn and gain experience doing field research.

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During their time at UMBS, students participate in various research studies, many of which are long-term data collection studies, meaning multiple generations of students work on them.

According to UMBS, the core mission of the station is “to advance environmental field research, engage students in scientific discovery and provide information needed to understand and sustain ecosystems from local to global scales. In this cross-disciplinary, interactive community, students, faculty and researchers from around the globe come together to learn about and from the natural world and seek solutions to the critical environmental challenges of our time.”

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The open house, set for 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 21, will allow guests to explore the main research and teaching campus and meet with researchers. Of particular note, the Great Lakes Piping Plover captive rearing team, who has been working for more than 30 years to save the endangered shorebird species, will be on site.

Visitors also are invited to participate in a poetry workshop at 12:30 p.m. with the artist-in-residence at UMBS in July.

Entry for the open house is free and open to all.

“We are thrilled to welcome local community members and families to one of the nation’s largest and longest continuously operating field stations,” said Dr. Aimée Classen, UMBS director and a professor in the U-M Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, in a press release. “Founded in 1909, it’s a place of scientific discovery that alters the way you see the world. Together we can inspire deeper understanding and appreciation of local lake ecosystems and improve public engagement to support conservation.”

Refreshments will be served at the open house at 9133 Biological Road in Pellston.

For more information, visit lsa.umich.edu/umbs.

— Contact Jillian Fellows at jfellows@petoskeynews.com.

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Get an up close look at U-M Biological Station during open house