Field Sites
Fish Lake Environmental Education Center
The Fish Lake Environmental Education Center consists of 240 acres of fields, woodlands and wetlands adjacent to the Lapeer State Game Area. It's located 20 minutes east of Flint; an approximate 1.45 hour drive from EMU's main campus. The Fish Lake field station provides an extraordinary diversity of ecological communities and habitats characteristic of southern and central Michigan. Student facilities include classrooms, laboratories and a dormitory. The dining hall provides meals for both resident and day students. The fee for overnight stay is $10 per night. Meal charges vary from $7 to $10 per meal.
Parsons Center
The Jean Noble Parsons Center for the Study of Art and Science is an interdisciplinary educational center 15 miles outside of Traverse City, Mich. The Center sits on 86 acres, consisting of mostly natural woodland and marsh with Parsons Lake in the center of the property. The Center is the legacy of the late Jean Parsons, renowned sculptor and potter and is run jointly by the Departments of Art, Biology and Psychology at EMU.
Student facilities include a classroom/studio, a dining hall and a dormitory. Students are expected to reside at the Center between consecutive class meetings.
Coastal Florida Field Experience
Tropical Marine Biology and Dive-In provide an organized way to turn a fascination for the sea into an appreciation of the principles of marine biology reflecting the function and ecology of marine life. A semester-long course on-campus covers different marine habitats and the diversity of organisms found in these environments. At the end of the semester, we spend a week at the Keys Marine Lab (Layton, FL) and engage in many hands-on experiences in a marine coastal environment.
Students have an opportunity to apply what they learned in the lecture course and acquire skills for identifying organisms in their natural environment and monitoring underwater communities. The lecture course is offered in even-year Winter semesters; the trip to the Keys Marine Lab occurs during the intersession immediately following the Winter semester. Please contact Dr. Shillington for details.
Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands
The Ecuador and Galápagos Islands class starts in Quito, the Ecuadorian capital that blends ancient traditions with modern bustle. An excursion leads us into the Andes mountains and into the rainforest. From there, we fly to the Galápagos to learn about the fragile ecology of the archipelago and witness the beauty of the tame wildlife. Look forward to watching sea turtles and marine iguanas, observing sea birds nesting two steps away from you and snorkeling with playful sea lions. Enjoy a face-to-face encounter with ancient giant tortoises in their natural habitat or a horseback ride up a recently active volcano. This class has been offered every odd year during the summer. Please contact Dr. Reinhardt for details.
Loesell Field Laboratory
This site is a 21-acre tract west of main campus (Golfside Rd., Ypsilanti) that was dedicated in 1958. It provides an undeveloped natural habitat for the study of wildlife, flora and fauna in a variety of habitats, including pond/bog, mature oak-hickory forest and early-successional forest. A boardwalk through the wetland area provides access for classes and researchers.