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This website is packed with information about Harvard Forest’s research, education, events, data, and more. We've made some handy guides to exploring 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.

News & Highlights

November 30, 2023

Witness Tree in Action

Image shows LiDAR representation of the Witness Tree by the Schaaf Lab at UMass Boston

On Tuesday, November 28^th on Zoom, members of the Harvard Forest Schoolyard Ecology community gathered to learn about exciting developments in how the Witness Tree project has been translated for classroom use.

Under the guidance of the Harvard Forest team Clarisse Hart and Katharine Hinkle and collaborators Dr. Tim Rademacher, Dr. Taylor Jones, and Dr. Joy Winborne, two recent

November 14, 2023

Fall at Harvard Forest: A Flurry of Visitors

Photo shows 2023 Freshman Seminar students, instructor Dave Orwig, and guest Jackie Matthes atop a Harvard Forest research tower.

Each fall at Harvard Forest, the slowing production of chlorophyll is met with a quickening pace of visitors. While our foliage was a bit less vibrant this year due to weather extremes, the seasonal influx of visitors to the Forest was no match to previous years.

Since the onset of the fall semester, the research and outreach staff at Harvard Forest

October 17, 2023

Bullard Spotlight: Social-Ecological Frameworks with Rinku Roy Chowdhury

Forests, across a wide range of geographic, ecological, and social contexts, are common pool resource systems characterized by distinct forms of governance, with diverse implications for sustainability and resilience. Rinku Roy Chowdhury has been researching aspects of land use and socio-ecological resilience for several decades. Her work uses geospatial as well as qualitative approaches to help illuminate how individual agencies

October 3, 2023

New Publication Offers Strategies to Address Ash Loss

Image shows the report cover, which is a look up at the trunk and leafless canopy of an ash tree

The impacts of ash mortality in the region have been multifaceted, with the emerald ash borer leading to ecological, cultural, and economic loss. Seeing this decline firsthand, Harvard Forest Senior Ecologist Dave Orwig and a team of researchers have created Managing Northeastern Forests Threatened by Emerald Ash Borer, a publication that describes adaptive strategies available to address

October 2, 2023

New Report Examines Mass. Forests and Solar Siting, Offers Path to Net-Zero Goals

a hawk stands atop a roof mounted with solar panels with a forest in the background

A new report released today by scientists in the Thompson Lab at Harvard Forest and Mass Audubon offers the first-ever comprehensive economic and geospatial analysis of whether Massachusetts can meet its solar goals while protecting its most valuable natural and working lands.

The report proposes a shift from large-scale, ground-mount solar to solar projects on rooftops, parking

October 2, 2023

Wintersession Internships for Harvard Students

6 students and mentors smile in the forest in winter

Paid winter internships in January 2024 will bring 4-7 Harvard students (graduate and undergraduate) to Harvard Forest, providing a mentored, full-time research experience as well as room, board, and transportation for those staying on-site. (See logistics section at the bottom of this page and notes in each project description.)