Welcome to Harvard Forest!

This site is packed with info about Harvard Forest's research, education, events, data, & more. We've made some handy guides to explore the website from the perspectives of educators, students, field researchers, and land stewards/conservationists. Don't see your view? Let us know at hfOutreach@fas.harvard.edu.

Explore my view

News & Highlights
December 3, 2024

Reflecting on a Vibrant Fall Season of Harvard University Visitors

Image shows Harvard University students atop a Harvard Forest research tower. By Clarisse Hart.

Each fall, Harvard Forest comes alive as dozens of student groups visit to experience our immersive research facilities against the backdrop of glowing autumn foliage. With approximately 1,000 student visitors annually, the forest buzzes with activity, hosting everything from academic courses and extracurricular organizations to house retreats and orientation programs. This seasonal influx invigorates the Harvard Forest community and inspires

December 3, 2024

Benton Taylor (OEB) to Explore How Warming, CO2, and Drought Shape Forest Carbon Storage

Image shows a rotting tree stump on the forest floor. By David Foster.

Benton Taylor, Assistant Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University and Faculty Fellow at the Arnold Arboretum, has launched an ambitious research project at Harvard Forest to examine how temperate forests respond to climate change. Supported by his National Science Foundation Career Grant, Taylor’s study, the Forest Responses to Warming Atmospheric CO2 and Drought (FORWARD) experiment, will investigate

November 26, 2024

Approaching Ecosystems as Family Networks: Studying the Decline of Red-Tailed Hawks

Image shows Keshia De Freece Lawrence, left, leaning against a tree. Neil Pederson is leaning against a different tree to the right.

Keshia De Freece Lawrence, Harvard Forest’s Indigenous Education Specialist, is conducting research to investigate the decline of red-tailed hawks. Her work is inspired by years of observing an alarming number of dead hawks along roadsides. De Freece Lawrence, a member of the Ramapough Lenape tribe, combines her academic background with her Indigenous heritage to approach the issue holistically, viewing the

November 26, 2024

Schoolyard Ecology Program Launches Giving Campaign

Image shows several students collecting data outside.

For 20 years, the Harvard Forest Schoolyard Ecology community has brought young people outdoors to collect scientific data in their local environment and has given teachers the support they need to teach real science with real data.

Image shows a picture of a student's hands holding a salamander with a blue backdrop and Giving</body></html>

November 13, 2024

Boston Globe: Neil Pederson, Other Experts Answer Key Questions About Drought Conditions

Image shows autumnal scene, including senescing leaves and former pasture land. By David Foster.

The Boston Globe recently dug into the effects of the current drought, speaking with Neil Pederson, Harvard Forest Senior Ecologist.

While we often think late-season dry spells are less problematic than during peak growing season, they can significantly impact next year’s growth.

Discussing how trees form buds in the fall, Pederson states, “what they are actually doing is setting

November 12, 2024

New Study Reveals Unexpected Soil Carbon Response to Nitrogen and Warming

Image shows a research sign at the Harvard Forest soil warming plots. By David Foster.

A recent study reveals the nuanced relationship between warmer temperatures and increased nitrogen deposits in forest soils, both of which are influenced by fossil fuel emissions. Published

Explore Our Work

IN THE WOODS

Focus on Phenology
https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/other-tags/phenology

LONG-TERM STUDIES

85 Acres, 116,000 Trees
https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/other-tags/mega-plot

STUDENT PROGRAMS

Winter Opportunities for Harvard Students
https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/undergraduate-students

CONSERVATION SCIENCE

Envisioning the Future Landscape
https://harvardforest-prod.ats.cloud.huit.harvard.edu/policy-land-use

JOIN OUR TEAM!

Jobs & Fellowships Open Now
https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/employment

Wildlife Cam

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Wildlife Trail Cameras at Harvard Forest - Feb/March 2016
Wildlife Trail Cameras at Harvard Forest - Feb/March 2016
Turkeys with young grazing
Turkey with Young Grazing
Wildlife Trail Cameras at Harvard Forest - February 2016
Wildlife Montage - February 2016
Raccoon
Raccoon at Night
Deer Browsing
Deer Browsing
Young Moose Browsing
Moose Browsing

Webcams

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Witness Tree
Witness Tree
EMS Tower 2
EMS Tower 2
Below Canopy
Below Canopy
Neon Top of Tower
Neon Top of Tower
Hemlock Tower SW
Hemlock Tower SW
NEON Bottom of Tower
NEON Bottom of Tower
Barn Tower
Barn Tower
EMS Tower
EMS Tower
Barn Tower 2
Barn Tower 2
Harvard Farm North 2
Harvard Farm North 2
Harvard Farm North
Harvard Farm North
Hemlock Tower NE
Hemlock Tower NE

Real Time Data

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8. Snowpack
8. Snowpack
7. Water Temperature
7. Water Temperature
4. Precipitation
4. Precipitation
3. Wind Speed
3. Wind Speed
2. Radiation
2. Radiation
5. Stream Discharge
5. Stream Discharge
6. Wetland Water Level
6. Wetland Water Level
1. Temperature & Humidity
1. Temperature & Humidity

Events at Harvard Forest

See a list of our upcoming seminars & events:

Spring Seminar Series

Future Events

Initiatives & Partner Organizations

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