Frosty Feel:

As cold creeps in, animals begin to hibernate, the last dry leaves cling to trees, and hoots of courting owls echo through the woods.

Fungi Fundamentals

Saturday, November 15th

11:00-12:30

Ages 10 years and older

Join us in Room 119 to go over some of the basics of mushroom anatomy before heading out on the trails to observe those characteristics in the field. Please register for this program.

(Photo by Mike Solomon, your Fungi Fanatic!)

Nature Walks for Mental Health*

Nov. 19 and Dec. 3 (with a celebration finale`!)

2:00-2:45

*Open to the public

In partnership with UM-Dearborn's Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) office, the EIC and CAPS staff offer bi-weekly guided walks on the Interpretive Trails. Please register for this program. Meet at the EIC.

Whooooo's Out There....?

Friday, Dec. 5 from 7:00-8:30 p.m.

Ages 10 and older

It's courtship time for our resident owls, and their version of dating apps involves a different kind of communication. Walk the trails with the EIC staff as we imitate the calls of local owls in hopes of a response. Please register for this program.

(Photo by Jake Bonello, USFWS)

ORGANIZING FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & JUSTICE

A panel for growth and inspiration.

November 18, 6-7:15, EIC

RICKY ACKERMAN, Chief Sustainability Officer, Eastside Community Network

SIMONE SAGOVAC, Program Manager, SW Detroit Com. Benefits Coalition

MORGAN LOCKE, Air Quality Program Manager, Green Door Initiative

Learn about initiatives in Metro Detroit to address health inequities.

Please register for this event.

Pollinator Photo Contest Results!!

For the 6th consecutive year, the EIC and UM-Dearborn Bee Campus USA, sponsored a Pollinator Photo Contest to highlight the amazing

diversity of the Earth’s pollinators. The 2026 edition of the contest welcomed entries from across the United States and even from countries as far away as Chile! 

After careful consideration by EIC staff and affiliated partners, this year’s three award winning photos are:

 Pollinators Up Close – Soft Landing by Ashley Hoy (a photo inspired by her children!)

 Pollinator-Flower Interactions – Lasioglossum on Blanketflower

by Joseph Ferraro (Mr. Ferraro's work is currently on exhibit at UM's Matthaei Botanical Gardens.)

Each winning photographer receives a bottle of campus maple syrup.

Congratulations! UM-Dearborn has been certified as a Bee Campus USA affiliate since 2019 in recognition of its pollinator education and conservation efforts. Former EIC Director, Dr. David Susko, has prepared a highlight video of some of the best photos for you to enjoy.

Curious about the potential harmful impacts of this new invasive species to the campus Environmental Study Area (ESA), I checked out an assortment of informational resources. So far, the results of my search have been inconclusive. 

For example, take into account that the preferred food source for lanternfly larvae and adults is sap from the invasive Tree of Heaven (Ailanthus altissima). Not so bad, right? The catch, however, is that the lanternflies do not kill the host trees. Instead, more tree of heaven means more lanternflies produced. Removing Ailanthus can help minimize lanternfly numbers. The EIC already conducts Ailanthus control as part of our invasive plant management, so perhaps that will help to limit lanternfly populations in the ESA. Time will tell. 

(Photo from Wikimedia)

Sadly, and alarmingly, lanternfly infestations can cause great harm to grapes, both cultivated and wild. Impacts on vineyards are a cause of

serious agricultural and economic concern. Now that lanternflies are in the ESA, will we soon be seeing swarms of them out there?

(Photo by Heather Leach)

If you happen to spot lanternflies in the ESA, please let one of our

Center staff know of the location. A photo would help, too. Also, feel

free to squish the lanternflies, which evidently is a commonly practiced

control method. Just make sure to become familiar with what

lanternflies look like before doing any squishing. (Photo by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.)

-Rick Simek, Natural Areas Manager

Take a DEEP Breath!

Air quality has increasingly been newsworthy here in Southeast Michigan. Over this past summer, there were multiple weeks where the air quality was so low, due to wildfire smoke blowing in from Canada, that it was unhealthy for sensitive groups to breathe!

(Photo BC Wildfire Service/The Canadian Press via AP)

Air quality monitoring isn’t as simple as labeling “good air” or “bad air.” Experts rate the quality of the air by measuring the concentrations of five pollutants: ground-level ozone, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. These pollutants all have an impact on breathing and are scored with an Air Quality Index (AQI), starting at 0 for unpolluted air. An AQI above 100 is considered "unhealthy," where sensitive groups like those with asthma may be affected. AQI ratings above 150 carries health risks for everyone, not just sensitive individuals. 

Air quality monitoring equipment is expensive and, as a result, collecting data can be a challenge in underserved communities. Gaps in the data hinder accurate forecasting and safety measures.

Fortunately, the Dearborn Department of Public Health has partnered with JustAir, to establish a network of air quality monitoring stations throughout Dearborn. One monitoring station was installed directly across the street from the EIC. (Photos by the author)