The first in a series from the blog Gender and Sexuality in Nature, a 2016 UC Davis course organized by UM EEB alumnus Ash Zemenick (UM EEB B.S. 2011, Ph.D. UC Davis 2017) and Jacob Moore (B.S. University of Washington 2009, Ph.D. UC Davis 2017). Discussion Overview: Hi all, thanks for coming to the first…
Category: nature
Exploring… birds
by Alexis Heinz, former EEB GSI studying conservation ecology and landscape architectureAccording to researchers in Europe, birds are seen as a measure of environmental quality. Their presence indicates a healthier ecosystem with the necessary structural components to support foraging and breeding activities. Marsh birds appreciate open mud flats with compacted soils resulting in…
Documenting poisonous plants and coexisting with them
Young leaves of Toxicodendron radicans, or poison ivy, displaying the characteristic trifoliate form with wide teeth. This specimen was found in a bed of winged sumac outside the Medicinal Garden at Matthaei. From the Matthaei Botanical Gardens blog by Gucci Fan, 2018 Great Lakes Garden intern, studying Program in the Environment and Ecology, Evolution and…
Feeder birds
by Alexis Heinz, former EEB GSI studying conservation ecology and landscape architecture When I fed the birds millet, they used to eat more frantically. They made a huge mess, spilling seeds all over the surface of the porch. This was agreeable to the squirrels and fellow sparrows who enjoyed eating the seeds from the ground. …
Invasive species: Trouble-makers or emergency responders…
by Alexis Heinz, former EEB GSI studying conservation ecology and landscape architecture Invasive. Exotic. Non-native. Aggressive. Out of balance. These terms could all be used to describe species that many people currently consider trouble-makers. Mother nature responds to disturbance by sending her most efficient and adventitious species. Many invasive species are able to…
A balancing act: summer sitting and nature time
by Alexis Heinz, former EEB GSI studying conservation ecology and landscape architecture The semester is a whirlwind of social activity. Between studio time and ecology classes, days are filled with talking, observing, listening, and thinking. The fast-paced scholarly environment fits with the dynamic and bustling city of Ann Arbor. Then summer arrives. As…
UMich SEEDS partners with D-Town Farm for 2018 BioBlitz
BioBlitz attendees circle up to share lessons from the event. Photo Credit: Naim Edwards by Naim Edwards (UM EEB M.S. 2014) Director, Michigan State University Detroit Partnership in Food, Learning and Innovation and Tiffany Carey, previously science outreach coordinator, U-M EEB Nyeema Harris AWE Lab and currently, Habitat and Education Coordinator, National Wildlife Foundation, Great…
Love stings: sexual selection on wasp spots
Polistes dominulus female on nest. Image from Wikipedia commons. by Emily Laub (co-editor-in-chief, Evobites) is an evolutionary biologist and behavioral ecologist who is a PhD student at the University of Michigan in ecology and evolutionary biology Sexual selection has resulted in some of the most flamboyant and outrageous ornaments in the natural world. The flashy plumes of…
Nature play at Gaffield Children’s Garden
Nature-based play helps kids learn about and love the natural world around them From Earth Words: Inside Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum by Elizabeth González, U-M alumnus (Anthropology major, EEB and Environment minor) In the Gaffield Children’s Garden at Matthaei Botanical Gardens, children connect directly and powerfully to the natural world in a kid-friendly…