CMU Biological Station

The original place-based education

Dive into the summer season with courses, workshops, research opportunities and community events – all part of CMU’s field station on beautiful Beaver Island. We offer a variety of field-based courses that take advantage of our faculty expertise, research facilities and unique location in northern Lake Michigan. Along with college students, researchers, K-12 groups and other professionals, you can learn, work and play in the clear waters around Beaver Island.

Emily Tryc in a maroon CMU polo shirt standing on the beach smiling at the camera. — Emily Tryc, a senior Biology: Ecology, Evolution and Conservation major from Hamilton, Michigan, had taken a Freshwater Biology course at the station and was looking for opportunities to return to Beaver Island. Competing against applicants from across the country, Tryc was awarded a place with the 2023 cohort of research students in CMU’s Great Lakes Research Experiences for Undergraduates program. Along with fellow participant Andrew Bumps, Tryc worked with Drs. Kevin and Wiline Pangle on round gobies, an invasive species in the Great Lakes, spending 10 weeks looking at different environmental factors impacting the alternative reproductive strategies of male round gobies. Tryc appreciated the close friendships developed with other research participants and enjoyed the focused research experience. And who wouldn’t love to spend more time on such a beautiful island?

Student in warm clothing installing surveillance equipment on Beaver Island. — Mary Benjamin, a graduate student in the Conservation Biology master’s program from West Palm Beach, Florida, plans to work as a research ecologist in wildlife conservation.  An advanced degree will make her more competitive and benefit Michigan's natural areas as she hopes to remain in the Great Lakes region. She took the Avian Field Experience course in 2023 and also used the station as a base during the 2023 field season to place 2 acoustic recorders on the Beaver Island Archipelago to record bird calls, returning at intervals to collect the data. An additional 16 recorders were placed in wetlands around the lower peninsula of Michigan. Her research focus seeks to determine if these passive acoustic recorders will detect secretive marsh birds, specifically Virginia Rail and Sora, which are important indicators of wetland health. This project will hopefully help researchers better assess wetland health by improving the detection of these important birds. The station is a key player in monitoring the health of the Great Lakes.

Jacob LeCaptain in a maroon CMU t-shirt wearing a safety helmet and eye shield while standing in the workshop at the CMU Biological Station. — Jacob LeCaptain, a sophomore about to declare a Biology major, loves Beaver Island so much he’s worked at the station for two summers, as a student employee with Facilities Management. He repaired engines, cleared brush, mowed lawns, fixed plumbing, and helped keep the station operating. As a child, he had visited the station with his family, and he grew to love exploring the island. Working at the station taught him a lot of practical trade skills, and regular contact with faculty and students convinced him that he wanted to pursue a degree in Biology: Ecology, Evolution & Conservation. Through the classes and fieldwork he observed, and the stories he heard from other students, Biology began to look really interesting.

Nestled along the curving beaches of Sand Bay, CMU’s field station looks east across northern Lake Michigan, with access to the rest of the Beaver Island Archipelago as well as the inland lakes, marshes and bogs of Beaver Island itself. Offering courses and space for workshops, research, and meetings since the summer of 1960, the field station offers a unique educational location to students and others for experiencing a variety of landscapes and waterways, and the great variety of life teeming in these. In its 58 square miles, Beaver Island offers a striking array of biodiversity, with distinct ecosystems available for exploration and education, as well as recreation.

The station also provides a prime location for groups to meet, especially those interested in the natural beauty of the area and the historical background of the Native and immigrant communities in northern Michigan.

Want to take a class or non-credit workshop?
Interested in visiting the station for research or to bring a group?

Work Hard, Play Hard - CMU Biological Station at Beaver Island

Support the CMU Biological Station

Gifts to the CMU Biological Station help sustain a vital place for learning, discovery, and environmental stewardship. Donors may choose from several giving options based on how they would like their support to be used.

Biological Station Endowment

The Biological Station Endowment provides ongoing support for the long-term needs of the CMU Biological Station, helping ensure its continued success for future generations.

Biological Station Research Endowment

The Biological Station Research Endowment supports research activities at the station, advancing scientific inquiry and expanding opportunities for discovery.

Friends of the CMU Biological Station

The Friends of the CMU Biological Station fund supports current programs, student experiences, and special initiatives, allowing for immediate and flexible use where it is needed most.

How to Give

To make a gift, click the Support link and enter the name of the fund you wish to support in the search bar:

Biological Station Endowment
Biological Station Research Endowment
Friends of the CMU Biological Station

Support the CMU Biological Station