Give to the Harvard Forest

Donate today

As the climate crisis unfolds, individual donations are increasingly impactful in advancing our understanding of its effects. More than half of our operating budget for research and education comes from federal grants. Thank you for considering donating to our efforts!

The Harvard Forest has been at the forefront of long-term ecological research for over 30 years. Our world-class programs support: undergraduate and graduate students from institutions nationwide; K-12 classrooms collecting real data throughout the northeast, and government agencies that depend upon our long-term data for things like air quality and drought forecasting. 

Beginning in the 1980’s, a significant portion of our research was funded by public agencies whose support was, until recently, unwavering. The Harvard Forest remains steadfast in its commitment to addressing local and global environmental challenges through excellence in science, education, and engagement with society. 

Read more about specific programs that are in need of funding below!

Online gifts can be made here.

Specific programs in need of funding: 

Summer Research Program in Ecology

Harvard Forest’s Summer Research Program in Ecology is a field-based, immersive program that engages roughly 20 undergraduates annually. With mentors from top scientists in the field, student interns advance complex ecological inquiries with evidence-based education practices in a shared residential setting.

Each student’s experience costs $14,000. Learn more or donate.

K-12 Schoolyard Ecology Program

Harvard Forest’s Schoolyard Ecology program reaches 2,500 students annually. Through real-world contexts, collaboration with Harvard Forest Senior Scientists, and support for public school teachers, this program serves as a model to science educators nationwide.

$150,000 is needed annually to secure the future of this activity. Learn more or donate.

World-Class Research Towers: Ensuring Continuous Climate Data Collection

With nearly fifty decades of publicly-available data, Harvard Forest's five research towers maintain the longest continuous record of surface-atmosphere exchange in the world, tracking fluxes of carbon, methane, ozone, and more. Beginning with our first flux tower in 1989, our resulting public dataset is globally regarded as the gold-standard, serving as a benchmark for climate models, air pollution, drought prediction, and more. 

$250,000 is needed annually to ensure the future of this vital public dataset. Learn more or donate.

Mapping Climate Impacts: Supporting the largest study of its kind

Established in 2010 with Smithsonian, Harvard Forest's Global Earth Observatory supports satellite calibration, long-term monitoring, and the longest-running measurements of forest carbon and water exchange worldwide. Our "ForestGEO" plot is the most important site on Earth for understanding temperate forest carbon dynamics, with entities such as NASA re-routing their satellites to ground-truth their research using our data.

$50,000 is needed annually to ensure the future of this activity. Learn more or donate. 

Donations can be made online here, or mailed to the address below. If you prefer to make a donation in person, they are gratefully accepted at the Fisher Museum, or you can make an appointment with our Director of Outreach and Education, Clarisse Hart (978-756-6157).

Harvard University is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization. All gifts are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law. 

Thank you for your support!