Events


In addition to special events that occur throughout the year, Harvard Forest regularly hosts the following:


  • Our Biweekly Seminar Series typically occurs every other Wednesday during the academic year
  • Our annual Ecology Symposium occurs each spring
  • A student research Symposium occurs at the culmination of our Summer Research Program in Ecology each August
  • The Charles Bullard Lecture Series occurs each October

Public Event: Tree Rings at Harvard Forest

Join us for a free public event and meet our Tree Ring Lab crew! ???? Together we will do a tree coring demonstration, tour Harvard Forest’s Tree Ring Lab, and learn about related research. By analyzing tree rings of old growth trees, we can better understand past events that impacted our forests. This information helps […]

Public Seminar: Rooted in Truths

Harvard Forest - Fisher Museum 324 N. Main St, Petersham, MA, United States

Join us for this in-person event, led by Andre StrongBearHeart Gaines, Jr. (Nipmuc). Gaines will present Rooted in Truths: Restoring Balance Between Everyday Life & Traditional Values within Colonial Systems. RSVP not required.

Public Seminar: From Metal Mining to Data Mining: Indigenous Data Governance

Harvard Forest - Main Building 324 Main St, Petersham, MA, United States

Join us for a hybrid seminar from Lydia Jennings, PhD (Pascua Yaqui Tribe, Wixárika), for her talk: “From Metal Mining to Data Mining: How Indigenous Data Governance Supports Indigenous Sovereignty Within an Open Science Ecosystem.” Lydia is Assistant Professor and E.E. Just Early Career Faculty Fellow in the Dept of Environmental Studies at Dartmouth College.

Public Event: Annual Ecology Symposium

Harvard Forest - Fisher Museum 324 N. Main St, Petersham, MA, United States

Harvard Forest's 2025 Ecology Symposium, "Future Directions of Research and Education at the Harvard Forest," will feature speakers from Harvard Forest, Harvard University's Division of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, UMass Amherst, Boston University, and more. The event will include research and education tours led by Harvard Forest's education and outreach staff, as well as a […]

Public Seminar: Vidya Viruputoor

Harvard Forest - Main Building 324 Main St, Petersham, MA, United States

Join us for a hybrid seminar by Vidya Viruputoor, Multi-omics approach to terpenoid defenses in the Eastern Hemlock, threatened by the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid.  A PhD candidate at UConn, Vidya will discuss the interdisciplinary study of Eastern Hemlocks to help us understand their defenses against Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, a rampant host-specific pest in our region.

Public Seminar: Morgan Furze

Harvard Forest - Main Building 324 Main St, Petersham, MA, United States

Join the Harvard Forest community for a seminar by guest speaker Morgan Furze for her talk, "Physiology, ecology, and evolution of carbohydrate storage in trees." Morgan is Assistant Professor in the Department of Botany and Plant Pathology and the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources at Purdue University. This event is in-person only; seminar will occur […]

Harvard University Community Bus Trip

Harvard Forest (Bus departs from Harvard Square)

*Note: Trip is waitlisted* Harvard students, faculty, fellows, and staff are welcome to sign up for a free Community Bus Trip to Harvard Forest on April 19. The 4 hours spent on site will be guided by educators and scientists at the Forest, including: an overview of Harvard Forest's interdisciplinary research and education programs a […]

Public Seminar: The Business Case for Nature

79 JFK St., Cambridge, MA 79 Belfer Center (Salata Conference Room), Cambridge, MA, United States

Hosted by Harvard University’s Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability, The Business Case for Nature: Opportunities, Achievements, and Challenges in Restoring Native Tropical Forests, will be an engaging presentation and discussion on the critical role of ecological restoration in tackling the global climate and nature crises. The presentation will feature Harvard Forest Director in Residence Jonathan […]

Fisher Museum Volunteer Training Session

Harvard Forest - Fisher Museum 324 N. Main St, Petersham, MA, United States

Harvard Forest relies on a team of approximately 35 volunteers that assist in staffing the Fisher Museum on weekends. Interested in becoming a volunteer? This evening training will provide information on responsibilities, including welcoming visitors, selling merchandise, and answering basic questions. Light refreshments provided. RSVP not required. For more information, contact hf-edu@fas.harvard.edu.

Fisher Museum Volunteer Training Session & Hike

Harvard Forest - Fisher Museum 324 N. Main St, Petersham, MA, United States

Harvard Forest relies on a team of approximately 35 volunteers that assist in staffing the Fisher Museum on weekends. Interested in becoming a volunteer? This weekend training will provide information on responsibilities, including welcoming visitors, selling merchandise, and answering basic questions. Prospective volunteers are invited to an exclusive hike from 9-11am, which will  include climbing […]

Public Film Premiere: Views from a Woodlot

Harvard Forest - Fisher Museum 324 N. Main St, Petersham, MA, United States

Join us on Thursday, May 8 at 7:00pm for the premiere screening of Views From a Woodlot, a documentary short film by Chris Hardee that profiles longtime forester Bruce Spencer, who stewarded Massachusetts' 100,000-acre Quabbin Reservation for over 40 years. Now retired, Spencer has daily visits to the 150-acre woodlot that he stewards, guided by the […]


Please note: The Harvard Forest welcomes individuals with all access needs to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact us at hfvisit@fas.harvard.edu in advance of your participation or visit.


Requests for Sign Language interpreters and/or CART providers should be made at least two weeks in advance, if possible. Please note that the university will make every effort to secure services, but that services are subject to availability.