University of Michigan
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

The 28^th Annual EEB Retreat will be held at the University of Michigan Biological Station, from the evening of Friday, September 7 through mid-morning Sunday, September 10. All U-M EEB students, faculty, postdoctoral fellows, researchers and their families are invited. Please save the dates and plan to attend.

The weekend will include field trips hosted by EEB faculty and researchers, a tour of station facilities, get-togethers, a poster session, and other informal events.

Cost this year will be as follows, although as in past years, the event is free of charge for incoming students. Faculty=$65; postdoc=$30; grad students=$10.

As always, partners, significant others, and children are welcome. (Sorry, no dogs allowed at UMBS) The cost for guests is the same as the sponsor’s cost, except that children ages 5 – 18 may attend for half the price of their parents’ cost, and children under age 5 attend for free. In-coming cohorts are invited to attend at NO CHARGE.

Vans will be available for transportation to UMBS and a sign-up sheet for rides will be posted on the EEB student lounge/mailroom door (Room 2060 Natural Science) by Thursday, August 30. There will most likely be an early van (mid-day) and at least one later van (after 5 p.m.) leaving from Kraus. Carpooling is encouraged if you want to drive, and a map will be posted next to the sign-up sheet.

Bring a sleeping bag, pillow, towel, flashlight, clothes for outdoor hiking and playing, extra shoes or boots and bathing suits (UMBS is on Douglas Lake). Be sure to bring some warm clothing, as it is likely to be cooler than the Ann Arbor area. Beds in cabins or in the dormitory are assigned upon arrival on a first-come first-serve basis. There will be socials hosted by the faculty on Friday evening and during/after the poster session on Saturday evening. Breakfast, lunch and dinner on Saturday and breakfast on Sunday will be served in the UMBS dining hall. Participants will also be able to pack sack lunches during breakfast on Sunday morning for the trip back to Ann Arbor.

The poster session is open to all participants and will include the usual low-tech, high-quality presentations. Feel free to think, but don’t actually do anything ahead of time! (First year students are exempted from creating posters, unless they feel they want to!) We will provide poster paper and markers on site.

If enough people are interested, we can arrange some activities for children and/or co-op childcare so that parents can participate fully in activities.

Please RSVP and provide payment to Jane Sullivan in the EEB Graduate Office in 2019 Nat Sci. Please let us know:

1) How many plan to attend, including ages of children

2) If you have any allergies (food or otherwise)

3) If you are available to carpool or drive one of the rented vans

4) If you are interested in using or can help child care or activities

Participation in the retreat is both valuable and fun for all, new students, experienced students and faculty. Everyone gets to know each other better in a first-class facility in a beautiful setting.

We hope you will join us!

The Retreat Committee,

Yin-Long Qiu, Elizabeth Pringle, Thomas Jenkinson and Jane Sullivan