ISEA Cafés are a fantastic way for us to connect during the non-sailing season and continue our mission of ongoing learning about the Great Lakes. We’re excited to share the lineup of ISEA Cafés offered during our 2025-26 winter season.
Please RSVP to Cafes by using the link HERE.
Unless otherwise noted, all ISEA Cafés are held at the Capt. Thomas M. Kelly Biological Station in Suttons Bay, MI.
November Cafe – Microplastics and You
November 11th, 10 am – 11 am
Paul Bilinski, West Shore Community College
Dr. Paul Bilinski is a plant geneticist with West Shore Community College. He will be sharing information about how plastics become microplastics and how they move through systems.
December Cafe – Traverse City FishPass
December 9th, 1 pm – 2 pm
Leah McCallum
Leah McCallum from Traverse City FishPass will provide a construction update, talk about what has been found from the excavated benthos, and answer all of your questions about the project.
January Cafe 1 – USGS Spawning Whitefish and Invasive Mussels: SWIMming into Good Spawning Habitat
January 8th, 10 am – 11 am
Diane Waller and Mary Anne Evans
Diane Waller and Mary Anne Evans from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) will be speaking about their invasive mussel project in Good Harbor Bay.
*This cafe will be online only.
January Cafe 2 – Your Climate Resiliency
January 19th, 10:30 am – 11:30 am
Rachel Ratliff
Rachel Ratliff will be leading a discussion about climate resiliency and maintaining hopeful stewardship in the face of doomeristic news and headlines.
*This cafe will be online only.
February Cafe – ISEA Book Club
February 19th, 2 pm – 3:30 pm
ISEA Book Club – The Devil’s Element: Phosphorus and a World Out of Balance by Dan Egan
March Cafe – Beech Trees & Passenger Pigeons: A Love Story
March 3rd, 10 am – 11 pm
Jess Piskor
Join Jess Piskor for a presentation and discussion of his work on Passenger Pigeons and Beech Trees. It is a one-of-a-kind love letter to these two surprisingly interrelated species.
150 years ago, Northern Michigan’s hardwood forests were full of Beech Trees, and the skies darkened with Passenger Pigeons. Now the birds are extinct, and the beeches are threatened with disease. Learn about their connection to each other, and come away with a greater appreciation for the great trees still in our midst.
Piskor is a writer, researcher, oral historian, and maker of mechanical objects. Expect dramatic narration, physical props, original art, and a lively question-and-answer period. If you love birds, forests, sculpture, and local history, this Cafe is for you. There will be no PowerPoint.