Events Calendar

The University of Michigan Biological Station offers 5-day mini-courses June 16-20, 2010. Mini-Courses allow you to study a topic in a friendly atmosphere in Northern Michigan. Whether you are a practicing naturalist, or simply someone interested in the topic, you can learn something from a mini-course.

We are offering two non-credit, adult mini-courses. These small field courses will be taught by individuals who are leaders in their field and are well acquainted with the Biological Station and Northern Michigan.

Course descriptions follow. For more information visit our website, http://lsa.umich.edu/umbs/courses/minicrses.

Forest and Landscape Ecology (Dan Kashian and Burt Barnes) asks, Why do plants grow where they do? We can answer this question for most species of northern forests right at UMBS because of its remarkably diverse glacial geology, landforms, soils, vegetation, and disturbance history. We'll also examine old-growth forests at Colonial Point and Hartwick Pines State Park. We'll travel to Mack Lake in Oscoda County to study the ecosystems occupied by the endangered Kirtland's warbler in the burned-over forests that are home to jack pine and northern pin oak. Sharpen your identification skills of Michigan’s woody plants. Plan on moderate hiking—both short and long hikes—rain or shine!

Sustainable Urbanism: Urban Design with Nature (Doug Farr): For more than a century UMBS has been a world center for the research and study of both individual organisms and entire ecosystems. The accumulated learning has advanced the scientific understanding of nature, essential for anticipating and mitigating the impacts of climate change on natural systems. Far less advanced is our societal understanding of how human settlement patterns cause climate change in the first place. This mini course Sustainable Urbanism was conceived to explore the links between human settlement patterns and climate change. Specifically the course will survey 1) what is known about how human settlement patterns affect human health and determine human impacts on the natural environment and 2) the emerging theories, practices and standards for creating sustainable human settlements. The course will use lectures, hands-on workshops and field survey trips to immerse participants in this fascinating topic. The course will be taught by architect and planner Doug Farr.

Come help Char-Em United Way celebrate the success of our 2009-2010 Campaign and honor recipients of the Newton Award.