Warren Woods Ecological Field Station
A space for ecological thinking, scientific research, and community collaboration.Mission
The University of Chicago’s Warren Woods Ecological Field Station supports research, education, and community engagement that address the practical and pressing problems facing nature and humanity in the Anthropocene. This is a place for meaningful inquiry into place, ecology, and human nature through thoughtful experimentation, creative pedagogy, and environmental stewardship.
Facilities
The Field Station is a 2,400-square-foot passive house building on 42 acres near Warren Woods State Park in Berrien County, Michigan. It is funded and operated by the Department of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Chicago.
The field station includes a small wet lab, plant growth chambers, a biological freezer at -80 Celsius, a seminar space for educational programming and classes, a full kitchen, and a screened porch. Three cabins and a bathhouse are nearby to house short-term researchers.
The field site has three enclosed test plot areas with high fences for manipulative plant experiments. Past, present, and research projects include investigations into the genetic basis of plant-pathogen interactions, origin and maintenance of biodiversity in butterflies, population dynamics of defoliating insects, migratory behavior and genetics of monarch butterflies, and monitoring of plant communities throughout restoration work.
Passive House
The innovative architectural design of the Field Station resulted from intense collaboration between architects and researchers to understand the needs of scientists and educators at a satellite University facility. The University of Chicago worked with G•O Logic, a Passivhaus-focused design-build firm from Maine, to design the space according to Passive House standards while serving its purpose as a research facility. It has the following unique features:
Maximizes Energy Gained
In the most general sense, Passive House standards strive for extreme energy efficiency: the building is positioned on-site to maximize energy gain, and the building envelope is tight enough to minimize energy loss. You can read more about why Passive House building is a sustainable solution for homes and institutional buildings in an article written by architect Matthew O’Malia for Fine Homebuilding. The Warren Woods Ecological Field Station was the first passive laboratory built in the United States and the fifth of its kind worldwide. Find more information about the unique design elements of the Field Station here [link to press].
The Field Station was conceptualized and constructed to emphasize long-term sustainability and ecological health. The Main Building, which houses the research laboratory and other facilities [link to facilities], exemplifies the potential for superior energy efficiency through passive house design on an institutional scale.
Minimizes Energy Lost
Passive house design and construction uses building materials, geographic orientation, and innovative construction techniques to keep energy usage as low as possible. Doors and window seals are airtight, and insulation ratings are as high as possible. Shade screens and passive solar gain via thermal mass maintain a nearly constant temperature year-round. In the winter, heat given off by the laboratory equipment is recirculated to heat the rest of the Main Building. Because of these unique design elements, the Field Station uses about 90 percent less energy for heating and cooling than a conventional building of the same size in this region.
Beyond the US
Although initially pioneered in the United States, passive house design and construction are more common in Europe. Additionally, most passive houses are just that – single-family homes. Our field station includes the traditional design elements of a passive house and a professional laboratory and classroom space, holding up to 35 students at a time. These additional requirements posed a design/build challenge, and the resulting Field Station is an architectural curiosity for designers and builders worldwide. The Warren Woods Ecological Field Station was the first Passive House-certified laboratory in the United States and the fifth in the world. As one article said, “Nothing like the 2,400-square-foot facility had ever been built outside Germany.” Read more about the specific features and outlay of the Field Station here [link to Dezeen article].
Land and Ecology
The Warren Woods Ecological Field Station sits on approximately 42 acres in Chikaming Township, Berrien County, MI.
The landscape includes remnant beech-maple forest, seasonal wetlands, lowland hardwoods, part of the Galien River, restored mesic prairie, and old agricultural fields. The property abuts Warren Woods State Park, which provides a thriving example of climax successional stage maple-beech forests as well as stunning spring ephemeral wildflowers and quiet hiking trails around the Galien River. The southern Lake Michigan region’s beautiful, diverse, and dynamic landscape has historically [link to history] been of interest to scientists, artists, and educators worldwide.
The Field Station land allows us to study ecological change over time, just as UChicago professor Henry Chandler Cowels did in the region a century ago. Before being purchased by UChicago, the land was under agricultural production for decades. After years of rest, every season reveals new plant and animal life on site. We continue to learn what this landscape needs from us to support diverse and healthy ecological communities while meeting research and educational interests. In the past, we worked with Pizzo and Associates to restore degraded areas of the site, including invasive tree removal, prescription burns, and native plant installation. We seeded an exemplary Midwestern prairie around the Main Building six years ago. Today, this ecosystem showcases a variety of native plant species and hosts a wide diversity of pollinators, birds, and other animals.
We are developing collaborative research, education, and outreach opportunities with universities, researchers, schools, and land-based organizations regionally and nationally. In the past, we collaborated with researchers at Indiana University Northwest and the NIRMI project to identify and monitor plant populations. Please contact Dr. Emily Bretl if you want to visit the site or learn more about researching, teaching, and learning at the Field Station.
History
The University of Chicago has close historical ties to field research in the southern Lake Michigan region. Henry Chandler Cowles was a renowned ecologist and UChicago professor of botany and plant ecology. He conducted his groundbreaking research in ecological succession and the dynamics of temporal plant community change along the South Shore of Lake Michigan. He is most well-known for his 1898 doctoral dissertation on the ecological theory of succession, developed in the dune habitats of northwest Indiana and southwest Michigan.
Cowles dedicated most of his career at UChicago to inspiring and educating the next generation of ecologists and botanists through field trips and camping excursions through the region. He trained several influential scientists and focused on teaching in the latter part of his career. He pioneered experiential learning in the field with hundreds of students in his botany courses. Cowles was the first chair of UChicago’s Department of Plant Ecology, which later became the Department of Ecology and Evolution. Henry Chandler Cowles is often called the father of American ecology. The field station and site were established following a generous bequest from the estate of Harriet Cowels Waller, daughter of Henry Chandler Cowles
People
Emily
Dr. Emily Bretl is the managing director of the Field Station. She oversees research, education, and outreach at the field station, as well as ecological stewardship and day-to-day management of the Field Station. Dr. Bretl specializes in interdisciplinary education, programmatic development, ecological stewardship, and community-based learning. She also directs Marram Collaborative, an eco-educational curriculum design and consulting organization.
Trevor
Trevor Price is a professor at the Department of Ecology and Evolution at UChicago. Dr. Price’s main research interests are on Himalayan biodiversity, of birds and trees especially, the evolution of color vision in birds, and speciation processes, again mainly focusing on birds as a model. He recently published Ecology of a Changed World.
Dennis
Dennis Freeling oversees the care and maintenance of the physical properties. He knows how to fix just about anything; if he doesn’t know how to do it himself, he certainly knows who can! Dennis helps clear the driveway of snow during long Michigan winters and ensures everyone (and everything) is safe and sound year-round.
Ken
Ken Krieger, the owner of One Man and a Tractor, mows our extensive fields and keeps our quarter-mile-long drive graded and free of tree limbs and debris. His work is integral to our habitat improvement efforts and land stewardship plans.
E&E Faculty
The Field Station is funded and operated by the Department of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Chicago. Several faculty have taught classes on-site or supported graduate research at the Field Station. Learn more about the diverse research and teaching interests of E&E faculty, staff, and administration.
Affiliated With
Transdisciplinary Inquiry and Collaboration
CEGU/Department of Environmental Studies
Chicago Studies
Mansueto Institute of Urban Ecology
Art History
Smart Museum/Place & Object Based Learning
In the News
04/15/2015 – Adapting to New Environs, Architectural Record
04/03/2015 – Warren Woods Ecological Field Station, Architizer
03/30/2015 – Defined Design: Warren Woods Ecological Field Station, Green Building + Design Magazine
12/31/2014 – Cedar-clad field station by GO Logic houses University of Chicago laboratory, de zeen magazine
12/10/2014 – Passive House Laboratory by GO Logic, The Architect’s Newspaper Blog
11/26/2014 – Just Don’t Call It a Lab, New York Times
10/06/2014 – Energy Wise, University of Chicago Magazine
08/21/2014 – Completion of Warren Woods Ecological Field Station, GO Logic Blog
08/03/2014 – U. of Chicago opens field station in area, South Bend Tribune
08/01/2014 – University of Chicago opens groundbreaking sustainable field station, UChicagoNews
07/25/2014 – University of Chicago opens first Passive House-certified laboratory in North America, Science Life blog
Research. Reflect. Imagine. Connect.
Thanks to a generous bequest from Harriet Cowles Waller’s estate, the Department of Ecology and Evolution has developed a field site and station adjacent to Warren Woods State Park in Three Oaks, Michigan.