Insect Ecology @ Au Sable - spring 2025

  When we first got to the Grass River Natural Area we headed to the visitor center to learn some more about this property. Things like its history, the wildlife we may be able to see and then I saw something that made my week. It was probably the funniest taxidermized owl I have ever seen, and I spent the next 30 seconds holding in a laugh. That owl was the start of an amazing day getting to explore and look for new insects at the Grass River natural Area Interesting Owl Taxidermy The history of the natural area begins in the 1960’s when land developers began to fill the wetlands in northern Michigan to prepare new building sites. One of these sites was a 62-acre plot owned by Alfred Austin. This plot was originally a pristine cedar swamp that would regularly flood when the Grass river overtop its banks. Austin clear cut all the cedars and began to fill in the site with sediment dredged from lake Bellaire. There was one major roadblock that stopped Austin in his tracks, the new ...

This Monday, we had our last Integration Day for the May Term at Au Sable, but I was not prepared for the way this trip would move me. Which emotions I was feeling I cannot exactly pinpoint. Something about the European colonization in Michigan deeply reflected that of my own state, Indiana, and it evoked a sense of mourning for what could have been. I have never seen a true old growth forest to my knowledge, so I was quite excited to be going to Hartwick Pines and to see 350-400 year old trees. Their stature was not something I was prepared for though. Never before had I seen trees as tall as these ones, at least not from what I can remember. (Figure 1). Contemplating how old these trees are and how many moer of them there could be boggled my mind, but also frustrated me.                                                      ...

“Sometimes you just got to feel the sphagnum between your toes!” These were the words of Dr. Heath Garris after he bounded into an unnamed bog in the Milock Family Preserve. This rather humorous tone was kept up throughout the learning experience, as Heath also demonstrated bog surfing, whilst still educating on bogs' unique ecosystems. The particular bog (Figure 1) we visited was located in the Upper Manistee Headwaters within the Milock Family Preserve ( Preserve Map ). This preserve is a large Natural area spanning 1,357 acres of Northern Michigan. It is located near Grass Lake and was the site of one of the insect collection trips (Figure 2). This site is managed by the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy (GTRLC). This preserve is a centerpiece of the GTRLC’s six-year “ Campaign for Generations ”. This campaign is a region-wide effort that seeks to permanently protect some of the finest remaining land in the area, which would help facilitate valuable access to nature for...