June 2, 2022
Oakland University has earned Telly Awards in two categories for a video highlighting OU’s “Living Classroom” — two biology preserves spanning over 110 acres on the OU campus.
Founded in 1979, the Telly Awards honor excellence in local, regional and cable television commercials, as well as non-broadcast video and television programming.
This year’s awards included:
• Bronze Winner for Sound and Sound Design
• Bronze Winner for Videography/Cinematography
“This is a testament to the quality of work we produce here internally,” said Multimedia Producer Jon-Paul Bakaric from Oakland’s University Communications and Marketing (UCM) team, who created the award-winning video with Interactive Media Specialist Sarah Griffith.
“This was in a very hard and competitive category of Branded Content, where you go up against huge budgets for commercial spots that include celebrities like Billie Eilish, so this is very exciting,” Bakaric added.
Like many natural ecosystems nestled within development, OU’s biology preserves require steady observation and upkeep to thrive in their natural pocket. The majority needs some level of restoration to support regional life and weed out invasive species.
Ten acres of Oakland University’s wildlife preserves were selected for a prescribed burn in the spring of 2021 to reignite hearty native plant growth. Over the course of several months, biology faculty and students planned for the correct conditions to use fire as a natural medicine to restore native growth. Prescribed burns are an ancient tradition among indigenous communities, allowing regional plants to take hold and flourish.
Invasive woody plants have weaved themselves throughout the wetlands, crowding Michigan’s flowering plants that are at the core of the ecosystem. While OU’s wetlands are fire-adaptive, the woody plants took to the blaze quickly and the charred open space welcomed regrowth of Michigan’s native plants in the spring of 2022.
Pollinators need flowering plants and other species rely on the pollination process for their food source, too. Biology and chemistry students have watched that process first hand through the biology preserves, and through ongoing restoration efforts, students are learning about the role people play in ecosystems of the world.
Since the burn, students continue to nurture more flowering plants, research the land and devise more ways the biology preserves can grow further. With the help of OU’s living classrooms, students can study a balance between developmental and natural growth.
“I’m happy we were able to bring awareness to this special area on campus and highlight the amazing work being done,” Griffith said.
To learn about Oakland University's biological preserve, visit http://www.oakland.edu/biology/preserve.
You can view the award-winning video, “The Living Classroom,” on YouTube.