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March 23, 2017

Learning from an Island: Harvard Students Explore Vineyard Ecosystems

Harvard Forest students in the Aquinnah dune.

A lucky group of Harvard students spent 5 days on Martha's Vineyard during Spring Break with HF Director David Foster, exploring the Island's history, culture, and ecosystems. Foster has been studying the Island for decades, and recently published a book and series of maps about the Island, around which the program was based.

The focus of the trip was to

March 23, 2017

Keystone Project Honored for Outstanding Environmental Education

The Massachusetts Keystone Project gathering at Harvard Forest.

The Massachusetts Keystone Project, led by UMass Extension since 1988 and involving a 3-day training workshop at Harvard Forest every April, has been awarded a prestigious Environmental Service Award by the Mass. Association of Conservation Commissions. The award, given for Outstanding Environmental Education, is well-deserved; since 1988, Keystone Project leaders David Kittredge and

February 15, 2017

2017 Harvard Forest Ecology Symposium

A observation tower at Harvard Forest.

The 28th annual Harvard Forest Ecology Symposium will be held Tuesday, March 21 from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm in the newly reopened Harvard Forest Fisher Museum. We are at full capacity, and registration is closed. However, you can join us online from anywhere; the event will be

February 10, 2017

New Study: Nitrogen Pollution Hinders Forest Decomposers

Process of taking soil sampling.

Atmospheric pollution may be altering forest ecosystems in ways that are difficult to reverse, according to a study of experimental Harvard Forest soils recently published in the journal Ecology, led by a team of HF collaborators from the University of New Hampshire, University of Wyoming, and University of Wisconsin-Madison.

December 8, 2016

AP News: Forests at Risk from Insects Spread by Trade & Climate

Woolly adelgid on a branch.

An Associated Press feature this week about the risks and impacts of invasive tree pests highlights a recent study by the Science Policy Exchange and features HF Forest Ecologist Dave Orwig, who has studied hemlock woolly adelgid and other invasive insects in New England for decades. 

The story has been picked up by at least 200

December 5, 2016

Applications Open: Summer Research Program for Undergraduates

2016 summer research program for undergraduates

Update: Applications are closed (as of Feb. 3).

Applications are now open for the 2017 Harvard Forest Summer Research Program, an opportunity for college and university students across the U.S. to participate in 11 weeks (May 22-August 4, 2017) of paid, independent research with mentors from Harvard and other leading institutions.

2017 research projects cover many academic disciplines, including ecology, biogeochemistry,

October 26, 2016

New Study: Climate Warming Destabilizes Forest Ant Communities

Aphaenogaster rudis ants with bloodroot seed

A study published today in Science Advances, co-authored by HF Senior Ecologist Aaron Ellison with scientists from six other institutions, shows that climate warming disrupts forest ant communities responsible for important soil turnover and seed dispersal processes.

In a five-year experiment conducted at both the Harvard Forest and Duke Forest in North Carolina, high-walled chambers in the forest were consistently

October 26, 2016

Fisher Museum to Close for Renovations; Archive Seeks Pre-1970s Photos

Fisher Museum

The Harvard Forest Fisher Museum, free and open to the public since 1941, will close for renovations on October 31, 2016, and reopen in April 2017.

The Museum's 23 diorama models will be protected and remain unchanged during the renovation, which will primarily focus on the Museum's entryways, flooring, lighting, and auditorium space. Harvard Forest's interpretive trails will remain

October 11, 2016

Senior Ecologist Calls on Scientists in Op-Ed: If Not Us, Who?

A toad sitting on a branch.

In a new WorldView column in the journal Nature, HF Senior Ecologist Aaron Ellison outlines steps for scientists to go beyond collecting data and to take a more active role in preserving biodiversity.

The call is one echoed and answered by many researchers at the Forest; projects like the Science Policy Exchange and Wildlands &

October 5, 2016

HF Forest Policy Analyst Honored with Int'l Award

David Kittredge kneeling in front of a tree.

The International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) Small Scale Forestry group recently honored HF Forest Policy Analyst David Kittredge with the 2016 Brandl Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the field of small-scale forestry research.

Kittredge has served as a forester on the faculty in the Department of Environmental Conservation

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