February Science Café: Dispelling the Myth of the Big, Bad Wolf

Announcing our February Science Café Topic: Wolves!

Date: Thursday, February 9th

Time: 4:30-6:00PM
Place: Environmental Interpretive Center, Room 119 (Map)

Cost: Free

Have you ever wondered about wolves? Do we have wolves in Michigan? Are they harmful or helpful? What is wolf conservation like in our state? Join the Student Environmental Association as we explore questions like these and more at our upcoming Science Café. We hope to discuss the importance of wolves to our ecosystems and dispel the myths associated with these important carnivores.

Guest speakers will include: Dorothy McLeer, Program Coordinator and Interpretive Naturalist for the EIC, and University of Michigan-Dearborn student, Jerry Heath.


Science Cafés are friendly forums where members of the public can engage scientists and experts with questions and become a part of a grand conversation. You don't need a background in science to attend a Science Café -- Science Cafés welcome everybody, especially those who want to learn more! Coffee and light snacks are usually served.


This event is free and open to the public. All ages (including K-12 students) are welcome to attend! We promise it will be a howling good time!

Visit the Facebook Event Page for more info!
P.S. You can read about one of our previous Science Cafés here!

November Events with the Dearborn Sustainability Coalition

On behalf of the Dearborn Sustainability Coalition and Student Environmental Association (SEA) at UM-Dearborn, thank you to all who presented or participated in the round table on earth, ethics, and religion!

Ian Tran and Sarai Richter greeting attendees of the Earth Ethics and Religion round table for sustainability.  Photo credit to Michelle Martinez.

Your attendance, insight, and the formative consensus that emerges from these events is an affirmation of our ability to make a difference in the world as engaged citizens.  The diversity of your perspectives and insight adds to the resilience of the greater Southeast Michigan community, and makes it a better place for all.  Approximately 40 people attended this round table, and we look forward to seeing all of you again.

Upcoming November events:

Nov. 15th,  4-5:30pm - Protecting our Health, Protecting the Clean Air Act at UM-Dearborn EIC

Nov 17th,  3:30-5pm -  Beans or Bypass Surgery?  A scientific discussion about food and well-being at HFCC
Nov. 17th,  7-9pm - Privatization of Public Services Roundtable - LWVDDH, Christ Episcopal Church

Nov. 22nd, 4:30-5:45 - Alberta Tar Sands and Keystone Pipeline Overview and Actions - UM-Dearborn

Below you'll find a brief recap of our October "Earth, Ethics, and Religion" round table, and more details of upcoming November events.

Plants to know and a cup of joe...our second science cafe!

Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
is a native Michigan plant.
Its roots can grow to 8 feet!
Image compilation by Ian Tran,
coffee cup credit to Flickr user BallistikCoffeeBoy

Join us for a cup of bird-friendly coffee and discussion about the role of native plants in our communities!  


Ethical and legal concerns about landscaping? 


Find out from an individual who navigated them and made it happen in Dearborn Heights!

Curious about what plants can make a great habitat for many to enjoy? 


Let's further the dialog!


Thursday, August 25th 
6:00 pm
in room 116
UM-Dearborn Environmental Interpretive Center 
4901 Evergreen Road Dearborn, MI 48128

You're invited to join us for this informal discussion on native plants, landscaping, and our connection to it all to make a more vibrant ecosystemic and human community in the Southeast Michigan area via the landscapes we live with.

This science cafe features special guests, among them Steve Ray of the Dearborn Heights Watershed Commission, Martha Gruelle of the Stewardship Network, and of course: YOU!  Dearborn's Sustainability Coordinator and esteemed alum of UM-Dearborn David Norwood will also be joining us.

Also, we're hoping to serve Bird Friendly Coffee again, and will have fresh UM-Dearborn made honey.

Please RSVP to the Student Environmental Association at The University of Michigan-Dearborn here on our facebook event or at greenwolverines (at) ymail (dot) com so we can better plan the event.

Science Café #1: The Coffee Connection to Birds and Biodiversity

Photos and notes from our first Science Café: "The Coffee Connection to Birds and Biodiversity":

Thanks to everyone who came out -- special thanks to everyone who helped set up/tear down, featured guest speaker Sara Yearout for sharing her senior research project and passion for sustainably sourced foods, Julie Craves (head of Avian Research at Rouge River Bird Observatory and shade-grown coffee authority) for sharing her expertise, Sara Cole for sharing the photos, Birds and Beans for their wonderful "Chestnut-Sided Warbler" blend of coffee, and the SEA members who helped make this event happen! Though the books didn't arrive in time for the event, great things happened nonetheless.

In case you missed it, here are some "tasty tidbits" from the discussion:

• "triple crown" (fair trade, organic, bird-friendly) coffee is the golden standard at this time.

• Look out for the fine print on certified coffee! Some certifications, like those awarded by the Rainforest Alliance, may actually certify only a certain percentage of the coffee to be shade-grown (30% for example) in the fine print.
• Some growers and suppliers cannot afford to get certified, but may still label their coffees as "bird-friendly".
• Caribou Coffee is working to get all of their coffee Rainforest Alliance Certified by 2012, while Starbucks has internal standards for suppliers that tend more toward fair treatment of the farmers, but may not necessarily be bird-friendly at this time

• You can find out about some of the impacts through this blog by our resident celebrity (she was interviewed on PRI's The World not too long ago) Rouge River Bird Observatory researcher and UM-Dearborn alum Julie Craves: http://www.coffeehabitat.com

• For some insight on how coffee (and chocolate) tie in with climate change, this rainforest alliance webpage is a fair source: http://my.rainforest-alliance.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=6361.0&dlv_id=10981
• Even if you're not a coffee drinker, are there places where you can educate coffee consumers about their connection to coffee, or help them make more sustainable purchases? Local cafes, the workplace or at home might be good places to start.
• Since coffee is exported into Michigan, it's worth recognizing that it does have a substantial ecological footprint.

Birds and Beans: http://www.birdsandbeans.com/
Sara's Co-Op, Ypsilanti Food Coop: http://www.ypsifoodcoop.org/
Equal Exchange Coop (Chocolates and other things): http://www.equalexchange.coop/

A pleasant coincidence I forgot to mention: the event was hosted at the Environmental Interpretive Center, a building was designed to look like a bird in flight from above!

Here's to drinking sustainably -- cheers!