Northern Michigan Events: The University of Michigan Biological Station welcomes the public to a variety of free educational opportunities all summer long.
The University of Michigan Biological Station, located in Pellston, Michigan, on the shores of Douglas Lake, is now operating for its 103 consecutive year. The station serves as a hub for renowned scientists and researchers to explore Great Lakes ecosystems in order to maintain and improve the Northern Michigan landscape that so many have come to treasure. Students from the University of Michigan, as well as many other institutions also attend classes at the station each spring and summer to learn about the Great Lakes environment in a hands on, up close and personal setting, while living in cabins that are immersed in the forest surrounding Douglas Lake.
This unique learning community isn’t just for students and researchers, however. The U-M Biological Station will welcome visitors to a variety of free events this summer, in the hopes of spreading knowledge of the Great Lakes Region to their Northern Michigan neighbors. Events include the annual Discovery Day program on Saturday, July 16th from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. During Discovery Day, visitors may take a self-guided tour of the Station and talk with faculty and staff from the Piping Plover research pen, the Insects and Aquatics classrooms, the community garden, the water monitoring buoy, and plant identification review station (a.k.a. “Plant TV”).
Sunday evenings from June 26 through August 14, the Station will host free environmental film screenings. Highlights include two 2011 releases: “Greenfire” (July 10) and “The City Dark” (August 7). “Greenfire” tells the life story of conservationist and renowned author of “A Sand County Almanac,” Aldo Leopold.
“The City Dark” addresses light pollution and the loss of night sky. Ian Cheney, director of “The City Dark” will be at the Station for the screening and available to answer questions following the film. We will show each week’s movie at 7:30 p.m. in the Gates Lecture Hall. Interested parties should check our website (https://www.lsa.umich.edu/umbs/events/environmentalfilmseries) for information about each week’s film including running time and rating.
Finally, as in past years, the Station has a mid-week lecture series. Speakers include invited guests, faculty and resident researchers. Their topics range from solar power (July 12) to plant defenses against insect attacks (August 9). The complete schedule is available on our website (https://www.lsa.umich.edu/umbs/events/summerlectureseries).
Additional Film Series Information: https://www.lsa.umich.edu/umbs/events/environmentalfilmseries
Additional Lecture Series information: https://www.lsa.umich.edu/umbs/events/summerlectureseries
Phone: 734-764-5212 or 231-539-8408
MyNorth.com wants to make it a bit easier to raise healthy kids and share Northern Michigan with the young people in your life. With an easy idea-a-week, Kids Up North will get you and your kids diving into Michigan’s spectacular outdoor recreation, provide hand-picked events and help you get your kids outside and active. Each week you’ll find everything from nature hikes to fishing holes, from music outings to pick-your-own farms. Every week we add new ideas to the list below so check back for more fun with your kids!