A Year Like No Other
As 2021 draws to a close, we look back on an exceptional year for the EIC. Exceptional, because for the first time in decades we were not able to introduce any school-aged children to the wonders of nature on our campus. We hope that we were able to reach some students with our virtual programs, but there is no substitute for being outdoors.
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Photo of Master Naturalists and
Dr. Orin Gelderloos
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While we missed the sound of young voices in the EIC and in the Natural Area, we reached a more mature audience with the inaugural Michigan Master Naturalist class (pictured left). Twenty-seven freshly-minted Master Naturalists graduated from our Rouge River Region site.
We also had the great pleasure of hosting Dr. Orin Gelderloos’ Legacy Lecture, in which he shared insights he gained during his 50 years of service as professor of biology and environmental studies, as part of the EIC 20th Anniversary celebration.
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We used the relative quiet to focus on enhancements around the EIC. Rick Simek continued with substantial removal of invasive plants and restoration work with the help of volunteers. In the rose garden, a prescribed burn was conducted to promote prairie vegetation. The rose garden pond was also dredged to get it ready for students participating in the pond exploration program. Henry Ford Estate, the non-profit organization that operates and is restoring Fair Lane: Home of Clara & Henry Ford, recently provided a new interpretive sign for the Rose Garden ruins within the Environmental Study Area. The EIC and Fair Lane staff collaborated on this project to inform both students and visitors about the site’s history during the Fords’ ownership of the land between 1909-1950.
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Prescribed burn in the Rose Garden. |
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Mike and Brendan Teely enjoying
Christine Teely's Memorial Bench.
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Thanks to memorial gifts for Ken Nietering and Christine Teeley, visitors to the rose garden and to Fair Lane Lake can now rest on new benches to enjoy the beautiful settings. We have also installed the first of several new signs that welcome visitors to the Environmental Study Area and ask them to be mindful of its importance as a nature sanctuary. |
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The EIC was able to resume a beekeeping program thanks to a new collaboration with Henry Ford College. HFC Sustainability Coordinator Nicholas Paseiro and EIC staff were able to harvest a small amount of honey after a successful summer. The large number of submissions to our 2nd annual pollinator photo contest (overseen by former EIC director Dr. David Susko) and the interest in the Pollination Partnership program (spearheaded by Kaitlyn Tatro) speak to the growing interest in pollinators in our community. Dr. Susko and Dale Brown were able to install 8 school yard gardens in Dearborn as part of the D-SHINES project to promote a healthy lifestyle.
In the community organic garden, Boy Scout Oliver Angel and his fellow Scout volunteers replaced two dilapidated plot fences and replaced a bench as part of Oliver’s Eagle Service Project. Gardeners at the site also assisted with cleaning up composting areas. One of the garden plots is now being used for growing plants for the new Certificate in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants under the guidance of biochemistry professor Dr. Marilee Benore.
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Since mapping and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) play an important role in the environmental field today, EIC staff developed GIS tutorials for summer programs for youths who are interested in environmental careers.
We also explored ways to use remote sensing for ecosystem monitoring. UM-Dearborn lecturer David Banach and Dr. Colin Brooks from the Michigan Tech Research Institute assisted a student team from Dr. Jacob Napieralski’s Advanced GIS Class in mapping the aquatic invasive plant Eurasian Watermilfoil in Fair Lane Lake.
The many accomplishments in this exceptional year would not have been possible without the help and support of many volunteers, supporters, collaborators, donors, and friends of the EIC. On behalf of the entire EIC staff, I would like to extend a heartfelt Thank You. We look forward to continuing this important work with your support in the new year.
We wish you and your loved ones Happy Holidays and a Blessed New Year!
-Claudia Walters, EIC Director
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Did you know that one opossum can consume up to 5,000 ticks in a single season?!
The National Wildlife Federation reports "These remarkable and unfussy omnivores are protectors, not pests. They eliminate disease-carrying ticks and clean up our ecosystems by eating rotting plants and dead animals." (Photo: Missouri Dept. of Conservation, Jim Rathert)
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(Long Ago) Tales from the Trails |
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Eastern Milk Snake (Nick Scobel), Field Biology 320, circa 1970s |
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This is why it's called Natural History
Natural Areas Manager Rick Simek reports, "This past spring, a student in the UM-D Field Biology Class, John Doyle, mentioned to me that his father, Mark, had taken Field Biology with Dr. Orin Gelderloos in 1987. I am currently involved in keeping records of flora and fauna sightings over time in the UM-D Environmental Study Area (ESA) and other parts of the campus, so this really captured my attention. I asked John if his dad would be willing to loan me his field notebook from the class from 34 years ago.
Just weeks later, combing through Mark’s graciously loaned out field notebook, I noticed a page where Mark had, in good detail, recorded an observation he and the rest of his class made of an Eastern Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum) near the old Ford estate Pony Barn. This stood out to me because the only known sighting of adult Eastern Milk Snake I knew of since I came to UM-D in 1994 was of a baby milk snake found by then-student Kyle Kandilian just outside the Environmental Interpretive Center in September, 2016.
Just this one added species record is a classic example of how a carefully recorded natural history observation, over time, can translate into real history. As with other aspects of history, the past can well inform the present. In essence, Mark’s field notebook can now be considered a repository of historical information for biodiversity at a specific place. And with the UM-D Field Biology Class having taken place every year since Dr. Gelderloos began teaching it in 1971, there is potentially a treasure trove of biodiversity history for the UM-D campus among those field notebooks that students in the class over time have held onto.
As Orin Gelderloos has emphasized to his students over 50 years of teaching Field Biology, one important element of the class is that they will be observing living plants and animals where they live. An integral part of this learning experience is to systematically record observations in a field notebook. Thanks to Mark Doyle, we now have more information about the presence of a living organism in its natural habitat, which adds to our awareness of the biodiversity, past and present, in this little spot of the world. Thanks, Mark!
If you have taken the UM-D Field Biology class before 2005, and have a field notebook that you would like to share to help further our knowledge of biodiversity on our campus, please contact me at [email protected]. It would be appreciated!
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In this unusual time, venturing outdoors and encountering nature is even more important. Our trails are accessible, so please visit our Environmental Study Area. Check out our Remote Learning Activities & Resources page for ideas to create a “Neighborhood Nature Journal” and “Family Nature Walk” activities! |
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Please stay safe, stay tuned, and stay engaged in learning activities while we eagerly wait for the opportunities to share experiences together. In the meantime, watch for our new online activities to satisfy your curiosity about the natural world. |
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Please remember...
The EIC Environmental Study Area is open daily from sunrise to sunset. We would like to remind nature-goers that fishing on site is prohibited and to leave bikes and dogs at home because they cause disruption and stress to the EIC wildlife.
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