RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES IN THE HURON MOUNTAINS, MICHIGAN

The Huron Mt. Wildlife Foundation invites proposals for research at a natural area of approximately 10,000 ha in northern Marquette Co., Michigan. The Huron Mountains region encompasses an unusual diversity of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and an array of unusual geological features. Because of the area’s remoteness and isolation, substantial tracts remain undeveloped. The Huron Mountain Wildlife Foundation (HMWF) promotes field-based, natural-science research in this region generally.
The Foundation's research area includes Lake Superior shoreline, sandy beach ridge complexes, a series of granitic knobs and domes up to 300 m above Lake Superior, and a variety of glacially shaped terrains. Upland ecosystems include several thousand ha of old-growth forest, including extensive hemlock-northern hardwood forests and a variety of pine and oak stands on drier sites. Diverse and unusually pristine fresh-water ecosystems include wetlands, large and small inland lakes and ponds, and a variety of streams.
The Foundation maintains records of research projects and natural history investigations extending back over more than seventy years (see Publications page at website: www.hmwf.org). Many taxa have been extensively surveyed and documented, some repeatedly. This extensive, base-line data-set is available to researchers.
The research area is particularly amenable to long-term ecological studies. Much of the area has been under continuous, private conservation management for over 100 years; ecosystems remain unusually free of direct, human impact. More intensively managed ecosystems within and outside the research area provide opportunities for comparative studies. Current management is minimally intrusive and emphasizes maintenance of natural-area status. Access is strictly regulated, providing security for investigators' study sites and equipment. While HMWF supports a wide array of research projects, it particularly invites research that capitalizes on these opportunities. Projects addressing consequences of environmental change in natural ecosystems, including ecological monitoring, are of special interest.
HMWF provides accommodations and work areas for approved researchers at the Ives Lake field station. Modest research funding is available from the Foundation for a limited number of projects each year. Highest funding priority will be given to projects that hold promise of generating external funding for longer-term research.
Investigators interested in conducting research in the Huron Mountains should submit a project proposal, with curriculum vitae for primary investigators. Proposals should be focused and concise, but should provide sufficient detail for peer review of research design and methods. If financial support is requested, a detailed budget must be included (note that HMWF does not pay indirect costs or ‘overhead’). Research proposals are accepted up to March 1st of each year. Inquiries and proposals should be sent to the Director of Research (electronic submission, via email attachment of MS-Word or WordPerfect files, is encouraged):
Kerry D. Woods, Director of Research
Natural Sciences
Bennington College
Bennington VT 05201
e-mail: director@hmwf.org
or: kwoods@bennington.edu
When sending emails, please include "HMWF" in the subject line.