Biostation: Let's keep it that way
Liz Klimas
Issue date: 10/2/08 Section: Opinion
Assistant Professor of Biology David Houghton rolls - maybe a little too fast - down the rolling dirt road and lets out a "wahoo" as the 15-passenger van bumps along the gravel. We pull up to the G.H. Gordon Biological Station and the Rockwell Lake Lodge and immediately meet with a gate flanked on either side by signs designating the two entities on the property: lodge and station.
Once our arrival is announced via the intercom system, the gate opens slowly admitting us, almost like the entrance into Jurassic Park on a smaller scale.
Down the dirt driveway the original and familiar wooden sign of the biostation welcomes on the left, a view of the lake head on, and the lodge parking lot and cabins of the Plym Village on opposite sides.
I knew I would meet an awesomely different ecosystem compared to Hillsdale on my first trip to the biostation. I was skeptical, however, of what the biostation would be like with the new Rockwell Lake Lodge, which admits guests from across the country to stay at the recently dedicated lodging facility.
On my trip, I collected plants for my plant taxonomy class, insects for entomology; walked around the lake; went for a spontaneous swim with fellow seniors (fully clothed); and, the highlight, saw a porcupine during a night hike. My stay at the biostation was fantastic because of the effort I put into it. It was thoroughly educational and recreational at the same time.
My plea to those visiting the biostation - students, staff, donors and guests: keep the property in the pristine condition you found it. Not only is this a retreat for guests and students into the wilds of northern Michigan, but for those in the sciences the property represents a learning experience, a research experiment, a moment of appreciation in seeing how interconnected the individual systems -bog, lake, woodland - weave together to make the ecosystem that is the G.H. Gordon Biological Station.
In my mind, the property and facilities donated by Mr. Gordon will always be first and foremost the biostation. I encourage guests of the lodge to see it the same way. Their stay at the biostation can be a retreat and education. If a student is researching, ask what they're doing. Pick up a book at the lodge about the flora and fauna of the area. Go exploring.
And unless it's raining, try the miles of outdoor paths, not the treadmill.
Liz Klimas is a senior, the sports editor for the Collegian and a biology major. She is pursuing a career in science writing and hopes to encourage environmental conservation.
Once our arrival is announced via the intercom system, the gate opens slowly admitting us, almost like the entrance into Jurassic Park on a smaller scale.
Down the dirt driveway the original and familiar wooden sign of the biostation welcomes on the left, a view of the lake head on, and the lodge parking lot and cabins of the Plym Village on opposite sides.
I knew I would meet an awesomely different ecosystem compared to Hillsdale on my first trip to the biostation. I was skeptical, however, of what the biostation would be like with the new Rockwell Lake Lodge, which admits guests from across the country to stay at the recently dedicated lodging facility.
On my trip, I collected plants for my plant taxonomy class, insects for entomology; walked around the lake; went for a spontaneous swim with fellow seniors (fully clothed); and, the highlight, saw a porcupine during a night hike. My stay at the biostation was fantastic because of the effort I put into it. It was thoroughly educational and recreational at the same time.
My plea to those visiting the biostation - students, staff, donors and guests: keep the property in the pristine condition you found it. Not only is this a retreat for guests and students into the wilds of northern Michigan, but for those in the sciences the property represents a learning experience, a research experiment, a moment of appreciation in seeing how interconnected the individual systems -bog, lake, woodland - weave together to make the ecosystem that is the G.H. Gordon Biological Station.
In my mind, the property and facilities donated by Mr. Gordon will always be first and foremost the biostation. I encourage guests of the lodge to see it the same way. Their stay at the biostation can be a retreat and education. If a student is researching, ask what they're doing. Pick up a book at the lodge about the flora and fauna of the area. Go exploring.
And unless it's raining, try the miles of outdoor paths, not the treadmill.
Liz Klimas is a senior, the sports editor for the Collegian and a biology major. She is pursuing a career in science writing and hopes to encourage environmental conservation.
Be the first to comment on this story