Manager of Youth Education
Education and Outreach
3 Years at Harvard Forest
About Katharine
Seamlessly taking over leadership of the Schoolyard Ecology program in 2022, Katharine supports K-12 educators and students to collect long-term citizen science data on climate change. She has initiated projects to make the program more accessible to urban schools and has launched educational research studies, including one on the impact of the program on middle school students’ science identity conducted in partnership with the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She received the Harvard Hero award in 2024.
As an Educator Collaborator at NPR’s Science Friday, Katharine develops content and mentors teachers in STEM resource creation. She has also worked as a consultant, leading professional development programs on project-based learning at schools around the country, along with being a curriculum coach to teachers and districts seeking to update their teaching practices with 21st century skills.
Prior to coming to Harvard Forest, Katharine taught middle and high school science at Innovation Academy Charter School, where she continues to serve as Board Chair.
Before becoming a teacher, Katharine studied geology and geophysics at Mount Holyoke College (BA) and Brown University (MS), where she had the opportunity to study thixotropic fluids on fault surfaces and to explore the paleoenvironments of the desert Southwest.
Current Projects & Research
Through the Harvard Forest’s citizen science projects, the Schoolyard Ecology Program helps students and teachers use science to connect with nature and become part of the fight against climate change. Katharine helps educators teach students how to understand and use data by providing year-round training and support.
The Harvard Forest Schoolyard Ecology program has helped classrooms collect real ecological data from their own schoolyards. This data is publicly available for exploration and graphing, with some schools contributing data since the program began in 2004. The majority of the schools have also entered data for multiple years. Each year, these datasets grow more valuable for studying ecology. Teachers can also access field trip resources through the program.
Learn more by visiting Katharine’s Schoolyard Scientist substack or listening to the Schoolyard Scientist podcast.
What Inspires Them
Mary Oliver’s poem, “Sometimes”, includes a stanza that inspires Katharine.
Instructions for living life:
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.
How they first heard about Harvard Forest
“When I was a high school Environmental Science teacher, I was looking for hands-on projects for my students to get involved with,” recounts Katharine. “I did some happy Googling, found the Harvard Forest Schoolyard page, and have been involved ever since!”
Their favorite place at Harvard Forest
“The Black Gum Swamp for sure – it is a peaceful spot that never looks quite the same twice,” says Katharine.
Fun Fact
In addition to being a rock climber and rower, Katharine is an artist, whose work was recently featured in the Harvard Staff Art Show!
