Harvard Forest is spread over 4,000 acres of land in Worcester County, Massachusetts (on ancestral Nipmuc land). About 30 people are employed full-time (see staff list) at the main office building on 324 N. Main Street in Petersham. Each year, an additional 150 scientists and students use these lands to conduct scientific research. These researchers come from across the region, country, and world.
Harvard Forest takes pride in supporting its local community.
Local Economic Support
- Supports local contractors and businesses and prioritizes local vendors whenever possible.
- Brings visitors and revenue to local businesses through programs and events; provides referrals to local lodging and dining.
- Employs about 10 full-time employees who are resident homeowners in Petersham, Athol, New Salem or Orange.
- Hires local high school and college students for lab, research, and facilities work.
- Pays taxes on 5 residences to the town of Petersham.
Services, Resources, and Expertise Collaborations with the Town of Petersham
- Maintains public town footpaths (Pierce Road and Poor Farm Road). Pierce Road is plowed and heavily used by dog walkers and hunters during the winter.
- Provides general maintenance (gravel, paving, tree work, snow removal) on Prospect Hill Road.
- Conducts beaver management in coordination with the Conservation Commission to protect town and state roads and property.
- Maintains the state-regulated Harvard Pond dam, which supports public recreation and ecological functions.
- Collaborates with EMS and first responders in Phillipston and Petersham to use Harvard Forest land for search-and-rescue training.
- Supports the Petersham DPW by providing waste oil for heating the DPW building.
- Helps with planning and mapping for the Town that otherwise would require hiring independent contracts to complete. One successful past project was when Harvard Forest staff helped develop tax maps for the Town.
Community Service
Harvard Forest employees contribute to the town of Petersham and neighboring communities in a variety of ways. Staff members hold volunteer positions on municipal committees such as Open Space & Recreation, Conservation Commission, and the Forest & Shade Tree Committee.
Our employees also regularly volunteer their time at local and regional nonprofit organizations, where many hold positions as board members or committee chairs at organizations such as Petersham Memorial Library, Petersham Historical Society, Nature Conservancy, Mass Audubon, Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust, Greater Worcester Land Trust, Friends of the Mohawk Trail State Forest, Let’s Botanize, and the Northeast Regional Invasive Species & Climate Change Network.
Forest & Shade Tree Committee / Petersham Wood Bank
- Organizes student volunteers.
- Leads and contributes to grant-writing efforts.
- Organizes at the state and national level for additional Wood Bank support.
Open Space & Recreation Planning
- Meets frequently with the Planning Committee, Mount Grace leaders, and Nipmuc leaders to co-develop recommendations.
Petersham Memorial Library
- Contributes a full day of programming for the annual Arbor Day event.
- Donates a copy of each new Harvard Forest book to the library.
Petersham Center School
- Provides Babbitt Walk programming, an annual series of seven 3-hour nature programs run for each grade.
- Supports a free after-school Science and Nature Club for students in grades 3-6 .
Public Education & Outreach
Formal Education Programs
Teacher training for K-12 educators via the Schoolyard Program:
- 4 teacher workshops hosted at Harvard Forest in 2025.
- Over 40 area teachers participate in at least one of the four Schoolyard research projects.
Field trips, professional conferences, retreats, and public events. In 2025, Harvard Forest hosted:
- 20 guided K-12 field trips with groups ranging in size from 6-35 students (many with reduced or waived fees).
- 30+ university field trips ranging in size from 10-50 participants, many with associated overnight visits to Harvard Forest.
- 20+ retreat and professional conference groups, including DCR Service Foresters, a Land Trust/State Agency Retreat, and the Ware River Nature Club Annual Meeting.
- Free public events, including guided walks, a film premiere, an author book talk, and scientific seminars/lectures.
Fisher Museum
The Fisher Museum is open to the public on weekdays throughout the year and on weekends from May through mid-November.
- A group of approximately 30 volunteers from Petersham and surrounding towns staff the museum on summer weekends. Each year they interact with approximately 500 public visitors.
- Throughout the year, the Museum receives between 1,000-2,000 visitors, who are frequently referred to nearby businesses and organizations.
- Three self-guided natural history trails are available for non-motorized use 365 days per year. Trail maps are available in the Museum.
Seminars and Talks
- Harvard Forest staff members give presentations at local venues including libraries and non-profit organizations.
- Weekly seminars at Harvard Forest, held on Wednesday mornings from September to May, are open to the public and also viewable in real-time online.
- Public events in the Fisher Museum are publicly advertised and well attended.
Recreational Use of Land by Town Residents
All of Harvard Forest land is open to the public for recreation; visitors are asked to stay on the trails and not to disturb any experiments. Motorized recreation, camping, and fires are not permitted.
- Hiking
- Dog walking
- Mountain biking and horseback riding (on designated trails)
- Snowshoeing & cross-country skiing
- Sledding (on the hill behind the Curling Club)
- Hunting (available on ~90% of Harvard Forest land; excludes intensive research sites and Harvard Pond)
- Boating and fishing
- Harvard Pond
- Connor’s Pond (jointly owned by Harvard Forest, the Trustees, and Mass Audubon together as the Swift River Valley Trust)
Land Conservation and Local Agriculture Support and Promotion
Partnerships with local organizations to protect appropriate land from development
- Land trusts: Mt. Grace Land Trust and East Quabbin Land Trust.
- Conservation groups: The Trustees of Reservations, Mass Audubon.
- Local and state Government: MA Dept. of Conservation and Recreation, Division of Fish & Game and Town of Petersham.
Land protection assistance to the Town of Petersham and individuals
- Helped discontinue some roads in Petersham and convert land to recreational footpaths; these were noncontroversial and supported by the town.
- Helps private landowners establish conservation easements/restrictions (ex. St. Scholastica).
- Assisted the town with elements of grant proposals related to land protection efforts.
Agricultural support
- Continues to develop pastureland on Harvard Forest lands and allows some local farmers to graze their cattle.
- Purchases produce from local farms, when possible, for summer research program meals.
- Gives away free sawdust to local residents including farmers and horse owners.
