Environmental Interpretive Center at University of Michigan-Dearborn

10/07/2026

Way to go! It's exciting to see so much local progress on bird collision prevention!

After noticing and tracking bird strikes on the law library windows on campus, we partnered with Wayne State University to install bird-safe windows. What a terrific partnership! Thank you WSU, for making your campus safe for birds! Read more about this cooperative project at blog link in bio or https://www.detroitbirdalliance.org/news-stories/makes-windows-safer-for-birds-on-wayne-state-universitys-campus

10/05/2026

Friday was a beautiful afternoon for a trip to visit our friends at WildType Native Plants! We picked up a handful of Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera) trees to plant along the Interpretive Trails. This planting was sponsored by a generous donor! Thank you!

See if you can spot the paper birches next time you're out for a walk, and be sure to get out and enjoy the Crunching Colors!

10/05/2026

Check this workshop out if you get the chance! Spotted Lanternflies are starting to show up in our area in numbers, and YOU can help track the spread too!

Community science platforms like iNaturalist.org empower folks to collect meaningful data that land managers can use to inform their habitat management efforts.

Did you know? Spotted Lanternflies were first detected in the US in Pennsylvania in 2014 👀 As populations continue to grow here in Michigan, we can learn a lot from areas on the east coast that have been experiencing large numbers for a while now. Removal of SLFs is still encouraged, but nature is also starting to respond!

Community scientists and researchers are noticing that several native species are beginning to recognize them as food ~ this includes bats, spiders, birds and even green frogs! I’ve spotted a few SLFs, both nymphs and adults, caught in webs—like this one on Belle Isle over the weekend 🕸️ As conservationists continue to make informed decisions about management, YOUR observations can make a difference! There is still so much we don’t know! Get involved by submitting your photos to Midwest Invasive Species Information Network (MISIN) or on iNaturalist.org.

Tomorrow, Tuesday 10/06, I’ll be hosting a FREE workshop with Michigan State University Extension educator, Lindsey Kerr at Griffin Gardens in Detroit 📣 Meet us at 6pm to talk Community Science and Spotted Lanternflies! All ages are welcome, Link to register in comments ⬇️

10/01/2026

Fall is officially here, and the trees on the Interpretive Trails are beginning to erupt with color. Get out and enjoy them before they're gone!

10/01/2026

Join us next Wednesday in the EIC auditorium from 5-6 pm for a brief research discussion with Jeffrey R. Boutain, Ph.D. He will talk about the 20 years of effort to save the endemic deciduous wiliwili tree (Erythrina sandwicensis, Fabaceae) in the lowland dry forests of Hawai`i, with support by the 501(c)(3) based in Honolulu: Native Ecosystem Restoration Solutions. Then stick around for a social event and harvest tasting of Michigan grown apples (Malus domestica, Rosaceae) donated by The Frosty Apple in Dexter, MI!"

09/23/2026

Spiders after Dark! Join us at the EIC this Friday, September 25th from 8:00-9:30pm!

We'll start with a short introduction and orientation to spiders, followed by us hitting the trails to search for some of the incredible arachnids that live here in Dearborn! Ages 8 and up! If you'd like to bring your own flashlight, feel free; naturalists will have some lights with them, as well.

Please register by following the link below!

09/22/2026

Can you feel the chill in the air? We've begun the transition between Summer and Fall here in Dearborn! The crunching of leaves, and the kaleidoscope of fall colors are soon to be upon us. Keep an eye out for birds taking a rest on their way to warmer wintering grounds, mushrooms spreading their spores on the forest floor, and pollinators searching among asters and goldenrod for the last morsels of nectar!

09/21/2026

Glad to host another wonderful Wild Ones Wayne County Michigan Chapter event here at the EIC! Rain or shine, indeed!

09/16/2026

Meet our Student Naturalist: Nate Worth!🌱

09/15/2026

Spaces still available! Yesterday was the first session of the EIC's Homeschool Elementary program for ages 6-11. We took a walk down to Fair Lane Lake, and acquainted ourselves with the habitat we'll be observing as the seasons (and micro-seasons) change!

Next Monday we'll welcome ages 12-14 for the first session of Reading The Landscape, our Middle School Homeschool program! There are still spaces remaining for this program, too! If you, or anyone you know has homeschool students interested in exploring and studying local biology, spread the word!

Follow this link for more information, and to sign up!
https://umdearborn.edu/environmental-interpretive-center/education-programs/programs-ages-4-18/homeschool-field-programs