Ebersole Institute for Environmental Education

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Ebersole Institute for Environmental Education

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08/28/2026

Welcome back to Flora Friday!
Meet our perennial flowering friend Milkweed. Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) is a tall plant with broad, fuzzy leaves and pink, fragrant flower clusters called umbels. They are named for their milky sap that protects the plant and the monarch catterpillars it hosts from predators. Monarch's and Milkweed have a special relationship because the plant not only protects them, the leaves provide their only food source. In return the Monarch Butterflies pollinate their flowers. Year after year the butterflies return from their southern migration to lay their eggs on the undersides on the Milkweed's leaves. You can spot them in our prairie. Keep a lookout next time you visit!
Have you ever smelled the intoxicating aroma of a milkweed flower? Have you ever found a Monarch egg, catterpillar, or chrysallis? Tell us all about your experience!

08/26/2026

Happy First Day of School!
We hope you all had an amazing summer! We sure did! While students and teachers are settling into their classrooms our staff is hard at work preparing for groups to start visiting campus soon!

08/24/2026

Its Mammal Monday!
This week's Mammal is the Eastern Fox Squirrel 🐿
They are the largest native tree squirrel in North America. Twice as large as the common eastern grey squirrel. They range in size from 1.5 to 4 pounds. Their coloring varies from gray to brownish orange to deep black. They are ground dalers (known for foraging on the ground) for nuts, seeds, berries, fungi and sometimes insects. They nest high up in the forks or hollows of trees in open pine oak forests, woodlots, and along forest edges. Fox Squirrels store food by caching thousands of nuts in the ground to find later with their strong sense of smell. They are also known to sabotage bird feeders in search of a free meal. Do you have any mischeivious squirrels in your neighborhood? Tell us about them!

08/21/2026

Welcome to Flora Friday! Each week we will feature a Native Plant species from Michigan and share some facts about them.
Introducing the Trout Lilly! The yellow trout lily (Erythronium americanum) is a common spring ephemeral in Michigan. Ephemeral means they only live for a short time. They have grayish-green leaves that resemble trout skin and beautiful yellow flowers. They are most commonly found growing in moist woodland habitats. Trout Lillies are one of the first spring flowers that provide nectar to pollinators so they play a very important role in the health of their ecosystems. We see many of them along the trails here on campus. Have you ever seen one in your neck of the woods? Tell us about it in the comments!

08/18/2026

Band Camp Season has come to an end and we would like to thank all of the bands that came out to Ebersole this year! Eastern, Everett, and Waverly. You drilled, you marched, and you played your hearts out! Cheers to all of your hard work and dedication. We wish you the best as you return to your home fields!

08/17/2026

Welcome to Mammal Monday! Each week we will highlight a species of mammal and learn a little bit about them. What IS a mammal? A mammal is an animal with a backbone, who feed their young with milk. They come in a wide range of sizes and live in many different habitats.
Who better to begin with than Raccoons! One of Michigan's most beloved mammals. These vertabrates can be found all over North & Central America. They live amoung us in citys and also in forest habitats. Did you know they are most closely related to bears? Their babies are called kits. Raccoons are opportunistic Omnivores, which means they will eat pretty much anything thats easy to find, from plants, to meat, and even our trash! They have been nicknamed "Trash Pandas" 😂🦝
In the comments tell us one fact YOU have learned about Raccoons or share a Raccoon encounter story!

07/29/2026

Happy International Friendship Day! 🎉

Here's to Jillian and Allisun — proof that the best friendships only get richer with time.
10 years of friendship, shared adventures, and showing up for each other through it all.
8 years as Henna Artists. Side by side, rain or shine, traveling around Michigan sharing their art.
3 years as Naturalists. They took their creativity and passion outdoors, guiding others to connect with the natural world here at Ebersole since 2023!

From henna to hiking trails, Jillian and Allisun have shown that true friendship isn't just about staying close — it's about growing together, evolving careers together, and still choosing each other every step of the way. Here's to many more years of art, nature, and friendship. 🌿🎨✨

Happy Friendship Day to two people who make Ebersole such a warm and inviting place for our kids to develop lasting friendships of their own.

07/22/2026

We braved the heatwave last week to take campers on a couple of exciting excursions. We went on Safari at Boulder Ridge Animal Park and we enjoyed Fishing & splashing around at Hawk Island! We stayed cool, hydrated, and enjoyed time making memories together. Thank you to the L*D summer staff that helped make these trips possible!

07/03/2026

We had a HOT but incredible week with our Animals Gone Wild Camps! Many thanks to the ODC Network for coming out each day so we could meet these amazing creatures they care for. All Michigan natives!

06/24/2026

Twilight Trailblazers! These camps revealed some true artists. We had so much fun following along with Andrea Nelson to create these adorable firefly/ lightning bug watercolors! ⚡️🪲

Address

3400 2nd Street
Wayland, MI
49348

Telephone

+15177555000

Website

https://www.lansingschools.net/departments/ebersole-environmental-education-and-conference-center/ebersole-institute/

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