The Tappan Oak: A tale of life, death, and rebirth

A leaf from the Tappan Oak

On a sad day in November, U-M foresters felled the Diag’s decayed ‘Tappan Oak,’ so named by the Class of 1858. But thanks to a solitary student, that is not the end of the story.

  1. Game day!

    It’s football Saturday! Come join the crowds at the Mudbowl, on State and Packard, the Pioneer High lot, and outside Michigan Stadium.

  2. U-M No. 1 in ranking of media/Internet/social media interest

    U-M has topped all U.S. universities for the amount of public interest measured by media coverage, Internet traffic and social media mentions, according to an independent national analysis released this week.

  3. U-M among top in nation for producing Fulbright students, scholars

    Seven University of Michigan scholars and 28 U-M students have been awarded Fulbright Fellowships for 2009-2010.Among the faculty scholar winners, U-M’s Ann Arbor campus led the country in the U.S. State Department-funded Fulbright awards, along with Michigan State University and the University of Oregon, each receiving seven awards. UM-Flint also produced a Fulbright Scholar.Among the Read more

  4. Ross School tops in the U.S. for environmental and social responsibility

    The University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business is the best business school in the United States for integrating environmental, social and ethical issues into its MBA program, according to the Aspen Institute’s 2009-10 Beyond Grey Pinstripes report.The biennial survey and ranking of business schools placed the Ross School at No. 2 overall. The Schulich Read more

  5. Record number of U-M inventions reported last year

    U-M researchers disclosed 350 new inventions in fiscal year 2009, setting a new record. Despite the state’s economic woes, the university licensed eight new startups in the last fiscal year.

  6. Bioengineering of nerve-muscle connection could improve prosthetic hand use for wounded soldiers

    Modern tissue engineering developed at the University of Michigan Health System could improve the function of prosthetic hands and possibly restore the sense of touch for injured patients.

‘Allow this place to be your haven’

Since its founding in 1909, U-M’s Biological Station in Pellston, Mich., has hosted students and researchers of all stripes, from natural scientists to future CEOs to aspiring poets. Immersive, magical, and fondly referred to as “Bug Camp,” the site features 50 one-room cabins in the woods. And thanks to their graffiti-loving residents all these years, no two are the same. “A Cabin in the Woods” at heritage.umich.edu details the cabins’ fascinating history. Enjoy this preview of images by Daryl Marshke of Michigan Photography.

  • Is anybody home?

    For more than a century, Michigan students have been leaving their mark on the gray metal cabins at the U-M Biological Station. They have blanketed the interior walls (and doors) with names, poems, inspirational messages, song lyrics, and drawings of the natural world surrounding them.

    A tin cabin with colorful front door.

  • Fear not

    As Kim Clarke writes in A Cabin in the Woods: “The graffiti serves as a rustic time capsule of a unique summertime experience many students say changed their lives and set the course for their careers in science and the environment.”

    Graffiti reads: The year I stopped being scared.

  • Heated

    The BioStation’s cabins are uninsulated, with open rafters and small windows that look out at neighboring cabins and pines. Each has two or three single beds along with a wood-burning stove. Toilets and showers are in communal buildings. The first batch of cabins that rose up in 1914 predate U-M’s first residence halls. Helen Newberry and Martha Cook opened in 1915.

    Logo on a wooden stove inside a cabin at U-M Biological Station.

  • Cruizin’

    The Biological Station would change how U-M students would research the mystery and wonders of nature: As early director Henry A. Gleason said, “The reign of the closet biologist is over.”

  • Golden memories

    “Bug Camp” is, first and foremost, an academic research environment that today offers 10,000 acres for study. Clarke cites this encouragement scrawled by a 2011 camper: “Allow this place to be your haven. See yourself as you are, without the influence of ‘home.’ Without friends, family, reputation, mistakes, corruption, society, gadgets, and manmade excuses for plastic happiness.”

    A lamp and desk inside a tin cabin at U-M Biostation.

  • Roaring, rustic ’20s

    New cabins – insulated and with private baths – are being considered to complement the old, some of which will remain. The modernization, including camp-wide utility upgrades, will allow the Biological Station to operate cabins year-round.

    Plaque on wooden wall with names and stars.

  • Behind the green door

    The administration also is considering preserving some of the old steel walls and their colorful graffiti to build into the new residences and display around the grounds. Doors to the modern cabins should begin opening in 2025.

    Cabin interior: Tin walls, bunk beds, green door.

  • Solo performance

    Scientists are not the only visitors to Bug Camp. Last summer, a cohort of students from the Michigan Ross School of Business trekked up north to immerse in nature, self-reflect about their goals, and  “push against the tide to bring about a new ethos in business.”

    A woman sits in front of a tin cabin at U-M Biological Station. She's casual, wearing shorts and pink t-shirt.

  • Soul food

    The BioStation is expanding its nature holdings in northern Michigan with the purchase of approximately 40 acres, a move intended to preserve the area from potential development that could adversely impact the property. The Board of Regents on May 18 approved the land purchase pending environmental review and additional due diligence.

    Graffiti on a tin wall reads: This place will feed your soul.