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3. Truly a labor of love - my 2016 Field Biology class

Well, it's over again for another year. Last night I turned in the grades for my Summer 2016 Introduction to Field Biology class. Now I have two weeks off before the Fall Semester begins. My folks were asking me, well what are you gonna do? Gee, uh, maybe go fishing??? Though, with our hot and dry weather things haven't been terribly exciting in that regard...

This class is always truly a joy to teach. Having been a field biologist for 32 years now, I feel this is exactly what I should be doing, and from my own days at the U of MI Biological Station, I have a model for what my class should be. This summer we caught a lot of fish, a variety of benthic macroinvertebrates, and saw some really cool plant life. The students were a good group, worked together well and had a lot of fun in the process. They even learned something! We visited forests of different types, dunes on the shores of Lake Huron, a cedar swamp with a tiny bog remnant (still retaining multiple classic bog plant species, including pitcher plants and sundews), Foote Pond, Clark's Marsh, the Au Sable River, the Pine River, Tuttle Marsh, and even [REDACTED] Pond, where I was glad I was wearing waders (while watching a 4" leech swimming around my waist).

Here's a few pictures to let you all in on the fun.

Jonathon

Wonderful Jonathon, good teachers are under paid and over worked. My wife is a para pro in our school district, so I know what these folks go through trying to educate these kids with all that goes on these days. I admire folks who the patience to work young folks. I can barely deal with people at the hardware anymore. Thank goodness I had 30 years at GM.

Mike.

What fun, Jonathon. You are in inspiration as I prepare to get back in the saddle for fall semester.

Jonathon, I have to mention this, I went to high school at Flint Southwestern class of 75, we had a teacher there Mr. Ricky, aka ranger ricky, who had a place up north some where and would take kids who had no experience in the outdoors and work on his property. He was one of my favorite teachers in a place that had gone really wrong. I think that says something about a person, when I'm now going 60 years old, but Mr. Ricky made such a big influence on many lives back then. I wish I had your patience to work with young folks.

Mike.

Awesomeness!!