What's Goin' on at the COG?

That's a Wrap!

Mike Solomon, Children's Gardening Co-coordinator



This year, the EIC’s Children’s Organic Gardening program welcomed 15 “budding” gardeners to the Community Organic Garden (COG)!

One student you may recognize (despite the mosquito netting) from her Green Ways articles is the EIC’s own Valerie Osowski, a senior in the Environmental Science program. As this year’s Cooper Family Intern, one of her major roles is assisting with the management of the COG. In this capacity she has helped with maintenance, organized volunteers, revamped the composting system, and

welcomed new garden plot renters.

(Valerie installs new signage she designed for the COG compost system.) )

Sasha Kindred is another UM-Dearborn student who has had a great impact in the COG. Sasha, the Sustainable Well-being Intern for the Planet Blue Ambassador (PBA) program, was inspired by a student project from the University course “Poverty and Inequality.”

This summer, she and PBA collaborated with Dearborn Support to grow produce for the campus student food pantry. Over a dozen student volunteer gardeners donated more than 20lbs of green beans, leeks, cherry tomatoes, sweet peppers, and zucchini! This fresh produce provides a delicious and nutritious addition to the non-perishables regularly available in the pantry.

Sasha and the PBA gardeners also volunteered with Biochemistry and Biology Professor, Dr. Marilee Benore, helping to repair fences and rebuild garden beds. 

Pictured left to right: Paige Allen, Natalie Albrecht, Sasha Kindred and Bridget Lawson

Harmony of Birdsong

Saturday, September 28, 9:00-11:00a.m.

at the EIC (in partnership with Detroit Bird Alliance*)

Join the EIC naturalists and Detroit Bird Alliance as we learn about bird song, the history of music, and tips on identifying bird calls by ear. Music educator Andy Jarema will guide this event. *There is a fee for this program. Please register through Detroit Bird Alliance for this program.

The Return of Art in Nature Walks

Thursday: Sept. 19, Oct. 17, Nov. 7 & 21,

2:00-3:00 p.m.

Meet new EIC student naturalist Morgan Corley who will lead these art-inspired walks. Some materials provided, but feel free to bring your own! Please register for this program.

Join us for an hour of fun!

Wednesdays: Sept. 25, Oct. 9, 23, Nov. 13

4:00-5:00 p.m.  

Best for children 7 and under. For adults bringing children of various ages, there is an option for older kids (7+) to enjoy a nature walk with an EIC naturalist while younger kids. Free & open to the public. Meet in the EIC Exhibit Area. Music & Bubbles, Observe Wildlife, Nature Themed Books, Crafts or Activities, optional nature walk afterwards. Please register for this program.

Monthly Young Naturalist Program!

This 9-month program offers four seasons of exciting outdoor science and nature investigations for children 9 to 12 years old. Monthly sessions take place on Saturdays from 9:30 am to noon, starting in September and continuing through May.

Session topics include pond studies, insects and spiders, creatures of the soil, birds and migration, owls, animal tracking, wildflowers and trees, and learning about how maple syrup is made right here at the EIC. Participants receive a field pack, field guides, and assorted field equipment. There is a fee for this program, which requires pre-registration for this program.

Last Chance to Enter the Pollinator Photo Contest!!

The EIC and UM-Dearborn’s Bee Campus USA Committee are accepting entries for the 5^th annual Pollinator Photo Contest. Since 2020, hundreds of photos have been entered into the contest from 24 states in the US, as well as other countries, including Canada, Lebanon, Finland, Germany, and Chile! 

(Photo by previous award-winner Linda Gilson)

Sometime later, the female swallowtail likely laid her eggs on one of the many the native Northern Prickly Ash (Zanthoxylum americanum) found in the ESA. It’s one of the only host plants for the species in southeast Michigan. 

Other large and colorful butterfly species common this year included the Tiger Swallowtail, Spicebush Swallowtail, and Black Swallowtail. Larval food plants for each can also be found in the ESA. 

Smaller butterflies were also numerous. I especially enjoyed seeing more Little Wood Satyrs (Megisto cymela) that I can remember from past summers (right). These bouncy, low-flying butterflies were a part of many of my recent July walks along ESA foot trails, especially in wooded areas. This species lays its eggs on grasses, so perhaps the EIC’s habitat management efforts in increasing native grass abundance in the ESA has given them a population boost. 

These are just a few of the 21 butterfly species observed in the ESA so far this year. There’s still time to see some of the late summer species. A September visit to the native rain gardens just outside the EIC, with its assortment of native wildflowers, might find you catching up with some of them! 

-Rick Simek, Natural Areas Manager

Be a "Seedy Character!"

Now that it is nearly the end of this year’s growing season, many flowers, fruits, and vegetables are likely beginning to produce seeds. Collecting these seeds from your garden is a wonderful opportunity to make next year’s garden more cost effective and sustainable!

It is best to collect seeds from flowers once the plant has become fully brown and dry. Try to collect the seeds on a sunny day, once any dew has evaporated. It is easiest to collect seeds by removing the flower head, then sorting the seeds from other plant debris on a flat, clean workspace. (Black-eyed Susan seed photo courtesy of Epic Gardening)

Even if the seeds do not feel wet, give them some time to dry, as any remaining moisture could result in moldy or unviable seeds for next year. Once the seeds have been separated and dried, put them into a labeled container in a dark, cool, and dry spot indoors. 

If you would like to collect seeds from fruits or vegetables in your garden, first make sure that you will be able to harvest and prepare the seeds from the plant. The best fruits and vegetables to harvest seeds from are tomatoes, peppers, beans, and peas, as they produce seeds that are easy to find and prepare for next year’s garden.

(Are ya' hungry yet?)

Seed libraries are catching on and Michigan has a seed library network, including the Dearborn Public Library. Check out how the Munising Public Library has "catalogued" their seeds! (Photo by Master Gardener Jackie Stengel)

Each fruit and vegetable has its own way of growing seeds, and thus a different way to collect and prepare the seeds. So, spend some time researching how to harvest the seeds from your fruits and veggies!

-Valerie Osowski, Cooper Family Intern

Friends of the Rouge

Fall Bug Hunt!

Saturday, October 12, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Your eyes, hands, and boots on the ground are needed! No prior experience is necessary, but PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Children eight and older are welcome when accompanied by a PARTICIPATING adult; groups limited to four people.

Meet at the Plymouth Cultural Center, 525 S. Farmer, Plymouth, MI 48170

2024 Conference: Birdsong in the City

Saturday, October 19, 2024

8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.