Alex Ireland, a 2006 and 2007 alumnus of the Harvard Forest Summer Research Program, recently published a paper with former Harvard Forest mentors Wyatt Oswald and David Foster. Alex is now a PhD candidate in Earth and Environmental Sciences at Lehigh University.

The new documentary "Secrets of the Mud: The Hemlock Mystery," by 2010 HF Summer Program student Allison Gillette, was screened in early October at an event at the Museum of Science in Boston. Allison created the film with Emerson College professor and Harvard Forest researcher Wyatt Oswald during this summer's Research Experiences for Undergraduates program.

33 Summer REU students presented findings from their research projects at a Symposium in the Fisher Museum. Several students had continued large-scale research projects that have been operating for many years at Harvard Forest. Others helped with experiments that were in their first year, but that are expected to continue long into the future. These students learned a lot about the value of collecting baseline data so that future researchers will be able to detect changes in their plots. Still other projects addressed more computational and technological advances in the field of ecology.

34 summer students have arrived as part of the Harvard Forest summer research program in ecology. Students come from all over the United States to participate in on-going research projects for twelve weeks. Under the guidance and supervision of researchers at the Forest, students will work on projects related to land-use history, phenology, plant physiology, invasive species, insect ecology, and climate change, among others. Students also participate in seminars, discussions on ethics in science, and career-building and community service opportunities.