Kellogg Biological Station (KBS), the largest off-campus learning center of Michigan State University, is located in Ross Township, south of Hickory Corners, Michigan, approximately 65 miles (105 km) from the main campus. Many of the buildings there were originally built by Will Keith Kellogg, the founder of the Kellogg's cereal company, after whom the station is named. KBS covers nearly 16.5 square kilometers (4,100 acres) of land. Combined with nearby state lands and preserves, this area provides biologists with opportunities to conduct large-scale research. The National Science Foundation operates a Long-Term Ecological Research site at KBS.
KBS provides classes for undergraduate and graduate students studying biology-related subjects. One example is the Enhancing Linkages between Mathematics and Ecology (ELME) program, which includes three weeks of math lessons and four weeks of hands-on fieldwork.
W.K. Kellogg Manor House
The Biological Station has a notable building called W.K. Kellogg's Manor House. It is located at 3700 E. Gull Lake Drive, Hickory Corners, Michigan. The house sits 110 feet (34 meters) above Gull Lake, offering beautiful views of the lake.
The Manor House was designed by the architectural firm Benjamin and Benjamin. Built in 1925, it was used as a summer home by W.K. Kellogg and his second wife, Dr. Carrie Staines. They lived there until 1942. The house was built in a Tudor Revival style and includes leaded glass bay windows, oak coffered ceilings, a Ludowici roof, and Rookwood tile in the bathrooms and fireplaces. The 32-acre (13-hectare) estate also has a carriage house, greenhouse with a potting shed, caretaker’s cottage, boathouse, an authentic Dutch windmill, and several gardens.
Afterward, W.K. Kellogg allowed the house to be used by the Coast Guard as an induction and training center. When World War II ended, the need for rehabilitation centers grew. As more soldiers were injured, the Manor House was turned into a home for wounded veterans. In 1951, ownership of the estate changed. After W.K. Kellogg’s death, the Manor House and its surrounding land were given to Michigan State University. From the 32 acres (13 hectares) and buildings, the Kellogg Biological Station was created. In 1998, the Kellogg Foundation provided a grant to restore the Manor House to its original condition. The project was completed, and the two-story home is now used for conferences and weddings.
Kellogg Bird Sanctuary
A destination at the biological station is the Bird Sanctuary. It was created to be like a similar wildlife area in Canada. The sanctuary is home to many wild birds and waterfowl, such as trumpeter swans, Canada geese, diving and dabbling ducks, herons, cranes, songbirds, and others. The sanctuary has played an important role in helping Canada geese and trumpeter swans return to the Midwest. It also serves as a resting place for birds that migrate. The sanctuary keeps some birds of prey and game birds on-site. Originally opened as a refuge in 1927, the sanctuary was given to the Michigan State College of Agriculture and Applied Science (now Michigan State University) in 1928 to be used for research and education. Today, the sanctuary remains a popular place for visitors, offering tours, classes, and programs to the public throughout the year.
Kellogg Experimental Forest
7060 N. 42nd St., Augusta. Started on farmland that was no longer used in 1932, the 716-acre forest is famous around the world for research on tree breeding, genetics, planting methods, and how to grow and care for forests. Much of the research that created the Spartan spruce, a mix of two types of spruce trees, was done at the Kellogg Forest. The Spartan spruce has the blue color and ability to survive without much water from the blue spruce, and the softer needles and faster growth from the white spruce. People can bike, hike, jog, ride horses, and go cross-country skiing. There are more than 15 miles of trails with information signs. Bow hunting, trout fishing, and picnicking are also allowed.
Gull Lake Library
The Gull Lake Library is a branch of Michigan State University's W.K. Kellogg Biological Station. It holds more than 12,000 books, many of which are bound journals. The library receives about 150 current serial titles. Its collection helps researchers at KBS, including faculty, staff, students, and visiting scientists, study aquatic and terrestrial ecology, evolution, behavior, and agro-ecology.
Dr. Walter F. Morofsky, the first director of the station, was an entomologist at MSU. The library now has a large historical collection of entomology materials. Research and teaching at the Early Bird Sanctuary contributed to a strong waterfowl collection. When the year-round research station was established in 1965, the branch library was also created, beginning a strong research program in limnology. Today, the station has strong research programs in limnology, microbial ecology, plant ecology, agricultural ecology, fish ecology, and vertebrate behavioral ecology.