EDITOR’S NOTE: This story is featured in the Spring 2025 edition of The Tartan magazine. Read more from The Tartan at alma.edu/tartan.
One of the hidden gems of Alma College can, ironically, be found in the great outdoors.
The Alma College Ecological Station, affectionately known on campus as “The Bog,” has for more than 130 years educated Scots on science-related subjects in a hands-on, getting-their-hands-dirty kind of way.
The Bog, located near the town of Vestaburg, Mich., may be located a long distance from what is traditionally considered “Alma College,” but students, staff and faculty who have been there agree that there are few facilities that embody our mission and values more.
“To the mid-Michigan area, The Bog may be sort of a hidden gem,” said Associate Professor of Biology and Biochemistry Brian Doyle. “But for years and years, faculty have taken students out to the property for a number of classes and research experiences. We study everything from ecology to chemistry to biology out there. And it’s often the case that when we ask students, after they graduate, about their favorite experiences during their time at Alma, they mention their time at The Bog.
“It’s true that when they’re at The Bog, our students are learning relevant scientific skills that they can take with them into the professional world. What sticks out more, I think, is that they are having hands-on experiences, knee-deep in the muck,” Doyle added.
Brian Doyle and John Rowe lead students at The Bog.
What is “The Bog,” exactly? It’s a piece of property that Alma College students have been studying at since the late 19th century. It was acquired by Alma College in 1966 and has gradually increased in size, currently totaling 222 acres. The actual “bog” lies within the central feature of this property: a kettle lake that was carved by glaciers that acted like massive bulldozers during the Ice Age.
The bog is immediately surrounded by more-common wetlands, mature forests with some old-growth characteristics, secondary forested areas and abandoned agricultural fields. The property also features a research station, where students and faculty pursue studies of biology and other related disciplines, including zoology and ecology.
Some recent research projects include one on how habitat affects the eastern bluebird and another on thermal and spatial ecology of eastern garter snakes. For many of those projects, students are working hand-in-hand with faculty like John Rowe, William R. Angell Professor of Biology — and, true to Doyle’s comments, the students report having transformative experiences doing so.
“I helped to host a ‘Bog-a-Palooza’ event for the college’s environmental club, L.E.A.P.S,” said Charlotte Howald, an environmental science major. “We hiked and canoed, learning about the local flora and fauna of Michigan’s wetland ecosystems, thanks to our knowledgeable guide, Dr. Rowe. I’d like to be able to work at a nature center one day, so the Bog is a great natural ecosystem for me to experience hands-on learning.”
Added Skye Wilcox, a biology major: “When I went to the bog with Dr. Rowe’s ecology class, I got to learn to identify native plants and to understand ecological succession. I love coming to The Bog; it has such diverse wildlife. I can’t wait for bird banding to start back up again soon.”
Students study a variety of wildlife at The Bog.
This past year, Alma College undertook forest management activity at The Bog, in collaboration with Natural Capital Forestry, an East Lansing-based forestry consulting firm that focuses on maximizing long-term forest health. The goal is to restore a more diverse, native ecological community to The Bog, which will preserve and improve it for generations to come.
Currently, Rowe explained, large areas of the forest are composed of deteriorating Bigtooth Aspen trees, a sparse amount of forest plants and an overabundance of tree species that thrive in shady, static conditions, such as American Beech and Red Maple trees.
If no management is performed, Rowe said, these trees will continue to dominate other species in the forest. However, if a sustainable removal of declining trees is performed, a richer diversity of tree, shrub and plant species of different ages will develop in areas where sunlight is allowed to reach the forest floor and a flush of dynamic, new growth can occur.
Rowe said that a primary goal is to add more native oaks, hickories and other tree, shrub and plant species — both through natural means and planting — that provide outsized benefits to the entire food chain.
“Up to this point, we’ve had a pretty hands-off take on management practices in The Bog, but the trend worldwide is now to embrace a more proactive approach to address the myriad challenges faced today by our forestlands,” Rowe said. “A more diverse environment means a healthier environment, which will create a more sustainable Bog to serve our students years into the future.”
