Fish Lake Environmental Education Center

08/31/2025

Dr. Chris Gellasch's hydrogeology students were visited by the EMU Communications team during one of their sampling visits to Fish Lake this summer.

07/18/2024

Work has started to create detailed computer-based maps of Fish Lake for teaching, research, and outreach efforts.

02/14/2024

From the February College of Arts and Sciences newsletter. https://sites.google.com/emich.edu/casfeb24/home

11/05/2023

Dr. Chris Gellasch took his ESSC 448 Hydrogeology students to Fish Lake on Saturday November 4th for a lab where they learned how to conduct slug tests and measure hydraulic gradients in wells. It was a great day and the students asked about the next time they can come back.

06/19/2023

This month's College of Arts and Sciences newsletter has a feature on Fish Lake and all of the great activities happening there. Scroll to the bottom to see the article.

CAS Student Highlights

05/03/2023

Miles Mercer, President of the EMU Astronomy Club and Physics Major/Astronomy Minor, said that the hands-on experience at Fish Lake has created actual experiences for him to learn the night sky. He said, “I’ve been to Fish Lake a few times and every single time I’ve learned something new. Whether it’s how to use a telescope more properly, how to take an image with a camera through a telescope, and more. It’s just beautiful here. You can see way more of the night sky here than you can on EMU’s Ypsilanti campus.”

The photo below shows auroral rays across the skies behind the Fish Lake dorm.

04/15/2023

One of the best parts about attending “A Fish Lake Weekend” is the connections you make! Whether it is networking with professors, making friends, or even finding love! These two students Rhiannon and Austin met while on the Fish Lake trip in 2018 and bonded over their mutual interest in astronomy and are now married. They are seen in the photo below smiling in the spot on the hiking trail where they had their first kiss!

They both have a lot of love for Fish Lake. Rhiannon said, “I love the people, the facilities, I love that this is just such a wonderful place to come out and do astronomy. It’s welcoming and just my favorite place on Earth.”

Austin said, “This place truly has so much to offer for so many people. If you’re an astronomer, biologist, chemist, or just enjoy being outdoors, meeting new people, engaging with others, playing Ultimate Frisbee, launching rockets, going on hikes…this is a gem of a place and I hope that it’s open forever!”

04/05/2023

This year’s spring Fish Lake trip was from March 24-26! It was great to see students, professors, and interested individuals come together to view astrological wonders in the dark skies! Students stargazed until sunrise, used the telescopes they have learned about, hiked the grounds while learning about the local plants/trees/landscape, played games, and had fun!

In the photos below you can the group photo of the Spring 2023 Fish Lake Weekend attendees, see them awaiting the model rocket launches, excitement in the smoky aftermath, and learning from Delta College Professor Kevin Dehne while on a hike!

04/01/2023

Last weekend was the spring Fish Lake trip! Students had an all encompassing experience at Fish Lake! They had the opportunity to collaborate with their peers and professors, use high-quality telescopes, and explore their field of study in a fun and immersive way!

Below are photos of students enjoying previous Fish Lake trips: using telescopes, launching model rockets, and hiking along the beautiful Fish Lake property!

03/27/2023

The Fish Lake Environmental Education Center (FLEEC) rests on a 240-acre property acquired by Eastern Michigan University (EMU) in the 1960s. This acquisition was made possible by a grant from the Kresge Foundation, which provides grants that support education, environment, and community development. The main building on the property was constructed in 1974 and was initially named the Kresge Environmental Center (KEC). Trailers at the front of the property served as both classrooms and living quarters until permanent dorms and classrooms were built near the KEC. The trailers were removed upon completion of the dorms and classrooms. A one-room schoolhouse that is original to the property remains and still functions as a lab and classroom!

Learning at Fish Lake is just as fun as it is educational. As pictured, EMU students might launch a rocket, walk in the woods while monitoring wells in a bog, or determine chemical concentrations using a color comparator -- and there are several other things to do and learn, too!

The upcoming Fish Lake weekend is scheduled for March 24-26, 2023!