PELLSTON, Mich. — Most days at the University of Michigan Biological Station, Malachi Cassels is on a mission to preserve and revitalize the mammal and bird collections at the historic research and teaching campus.

“We have some specimens that are over 100 years old,” Cassels said. “While a lot of the specimens aren’t currently used for much, the world is volatile. They are meant to be stored, waiting for a time when they are needed to give us a glimpse into the past.”

Entering his senior year in the fall, Cassels is a student studying ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Michigan.

During the 2025 field season at UMBS, he is serving as the research equipment and collections assistant under the guidance of Resident Biologist Adam Schubel.

It marks the second year in a row that Cassels is immersed in nature at the field research station about 20 miles south of the Mackinac Bridge on more than 10,000 forested acres surrounded by lakes and rivers.

Founded in 1909, UMBS is where students and scientists from across the globe live and work as a community to learn from the place.

Last year Cassels took four field-based courses during the spring and summer terms: General Ecology Lab, General Ecology Lecture, Forest Ecosystems and Field Studies of Freshwater Fishes.

“I enjoy a good adventure. And it very much extends to self-sufficiency and self-discovery,” Cassels said. “I came back to UMBS this year because I wanted to explore more. Last year I hiked a part of the North Country Trail in the Upper Peninsula, and it really gave me the peace and perspective to evaluate my relationship with myself and my community. I want my connection with nature, career, and community to all be one in the same, instead of an extractive or transactional relationship.”

Cassels is supporting the UMBS community in a number of ways, including maintaining historical records in order to be able to understand biological change.

He has met and consulted with collections managers at the U-M Herbarium and Museum of Zoology and the UMBS data manager.

Cassels also is helping ensure the safety, accuracy and longevity of research equipment used by scientists and students.

U-M student Malachi Cassels on a walk through the woods July 28, 2024, on the University of Michigan Biological Station property.

In honor of his continued passion for nature and shared sense of community, read our Q&A with Malachi Cassels.

Q: This summer isn’t your first experience at the research and teaching campus along Douglas Lake. What courses did you take before at UMBS and what year/season(s)? And what is it about UMBS that left you determined to come back?

In the Spring and Summer of 2024 I took General Ecology Lab & Lecture, and Forest Ecosystems and Field Studies of Freshwater Fishes respectively. I had such a great time and made some really important friendships last year, I wanted to come back to this wonderful community.

Q: As the 2025 UMBS Research Equipment and Collections Assistant, what do you do in your role and why do you believe it’s important?

For one-third of my job I do maintenance, calibration, and write standard operating procedures for our research equipment. I work on anything from autoclaves to multiparameter meters. 

Another third of my job is working with our specimen collections. Many of our birds and mammals have been damaged by mold and insects because they are stored in the classrooms where moisture and bugs can get in. My job is to clean and catalog them for long-term storage in a climate-controlled space in Lakeside Lab. I will also be working on digitizing the herbarium. 

The final third of my responsibilities are to assist Resident Biologist Adam Schubel and Stockroom Manager Sherry Webster wherever my help is needed.

Equipment maintenance is important because research equipment is needy and it will eventually not function unless it is taken care of properly. It helps a great deal to have somebody available to ensure the longevity of equipment and the safe operation of equipment. 

Taking care of our specimens is important for the wealth of information that can be derived from them. We have some specimens that are over one hundred years old. While a lot of the specimens aren’t currently used for much, the world is volatile and If we don’t keep records, we wouldn’t be able to tell what has changed. They are meant to be stored, waiting for a time when they are needed to give us a glimpse into the past.

Q: What was the most meaningful experience or project you’ve contributed to so far? What makes it stand out? And what do you look forward to doing throughout the summer? 

Working with and maintaining the mammal specimens has probably been the most meaningful to me. It's the part of the job where I'm learning the most about animals. I’ve become a lot more familiar and interested in the taxonomy of mammals through that project!

Q: How have your experiences at UMBS informed your decisions about a career path? What’s next and where do you hope to be in 10 years?

Being at UMBS has reassured me that I can pursue what I'm passionate about and still find a good career. I’m hoping to be in a place where I can appreciate nature's adventures and beauty. Maybe castaway on a tropical island.

Q: A lot of people may connect with your interest in discovery and your identity as an adventurer or explorer who would be satisfied living in nature as a castaway on a tropical island. Does it also extend to self-sufficiency and self-discovery? And would you highlight one or more of your UMBS or regional adventures and explain how that aligns with your career path?

It very much extends to self-sufficiency and self-discovery. I think that for me, the desire to adventure and spend time away from civilization is partially fueled by a desire to know myself in a context outside the obligations placed on me. Last year I hiked a part of the North Country Trail in the Upper Peninsula, and it really gave me the peace and perspective to evaluate my relationship with myself and my community. I want my connection with nature, career, and community to all be one in the same, instead of an extractive or transactional relationship.

Q: You’ve really immersed yourself in the research and teaching community. Tell us about the UMBS community, the energy here, and what people are doing when not in the field or lab.

The energy here is very friendly. It's OK to make mistakes, and everyone wants to help each other. When not in the field or lab there's always something interesting going on, whether it's a movie night, lecture, or trivia.

Q: If there’s one thing you want a prospective student to know about UMBS, what would it be?

You will have no trouble finding your crowd here, and you'll no doubt meet life-long friends.

 

The U-M Biological Station — the largest of U-M's campuses — is one of the nation's largest and longest continuously operating field research stations.

Founded in 1909, the Biological Station supports long-term research and education. It is where students and scientists from across the globe live and work as a community to learn from the place.

The University of Michigan Biological Station serves as a gathering place to learn from the natural world, advance research and education, and inspire action. We leverage over a century of research and transformative experiences to drive discoveries and solutions to benefit Michigan and beyond.

Subscribe  to the UMBS monthly e-newsletter and follow the field station on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and X (formerly Twitter).

U-M senior Malachi Cassels on a volunteer day in the UMBS community garden shortly after retrieving a bail of hay from the gardener's car. Pictured on Tuesday, May 28, 2025.
U-M senior Malachi Cassels, on the bottom right, took a stroll along the overlook of Carp River on June 5, 2025, admiring the blooming apple trees (Malas domestica) with the Field Botany class.