Mark Fate returned from his 2012 session at the Biological Station emboldened.  Not only had he overcome some initial squeamishness about slogging through mucky, leechy waters in his Algae class, he "realized I have a skill set I can apply to science."  

Fate turned his newfound skills and appreciation for the world around him toward his hometown of Ionia, Michigan.  He founded the Ionia Environmental Improvement Coalition (IEIC).  Fate and IEIC were profiled in this week's Ionia Sentinel-Standard.