Harvard Forest
Encyclopedia
Harvard Forest is an ecological research area of 3000 acres (12.1 km²) owned and managed by Harvard University
and located in Petersham, Massachusetts
. The property, in operation since 1907, includes one of North America
's oldest managed forests, educational and research facilities, a museum, and recreation trails. Harvard Forest is open to the public.
and conservation
research on the property, including two major programs: the Long Term Ecological Research LTER program, funded by the National Science Foundation
and established in 1988 to investigate New England's natural ecosystem
; and the National Institute of Global Environmental Change program established and funded by the United States Department of Energy
and emphasizing the study of physical and biological processes in relation to climate change
. Harvard Forest is also slated to be the northeastern core site of the National Ecological Observatory Network
. A number of smaller research programs are also conducted in Harvard Forest.
s portraying the history, conservation and management of New England woodlands. A sixty-seat lecture hall is located in the museum.
Harvard Forest staff and students conduct educational programs and guided natural history tours for adults and children. Self guided interpretive trails are located on the property, as well as several miles of primitive roads and trails, open to the public for non motorized recreation including hiking, wildlife observation, mountain biking, cross country skiing, hunting (in season) and similar passive pursuits. Camping, fires, and motorized vehicles are not allowed. A observation tower is located on the forest's Prospect Hill Tract.
The Fisher Museum and primary trailhead are located on Massachusetts Route 32 north of Petersham center.
Harvard Forest is part of an area of over 4000 acres (16.2 km²) of protected open space including several properties owned by The Trustees of Reservations
, state forest land, and the Massachusetts Audubon Society
's Rutland Brook Sanctuary.
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
and located in Petersham, Massachusetts
Petersham, Massachusetts
Petersham is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,234 at the 2010 census. Petersham is home to a considerable amount of conservation land, including the Quabbin Reservation, Harvard Forest, the Swift River Reservation, and Federated Women's Club State...
. The property, in operation since 1907, includes one of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
's oldest managed forests, educational and research facilities, a museum, and recreation trails. Harvard Forest is open to the public.
Research and Education
Harvard University conducts forest biologyBiology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
and conservation
Conservation biology
Conservation biology is the scientific study of the nature and status of Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates of extinction...
research on the property, including two major programs: the Long Term Ecological Research LTER program, funded by the National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
and established in 1988 to investigate New England's natural ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
; and the National Institute of Global Environmental Change program established and funded by the United States Department of Energy
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
and emphasizing the study of physical and biological processes in relation to climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
. Harvard Forest is also slated to be the northeastern core site of the National Ecological Observatory Network
National Ecological Observatory Network
National Ecological Observatory Network, Inc. is an independent 5013 corporation created to manage large-scale ecological observing systems and experiments on behalf of the scientific community. NEON is an observatory managed by NEON, Inc. and is funded by the National Science Foundation. NEON...
. A number of smaller research programs are also conducted in Harvard Forest.
The Fisher Museum
The Fisher Museum, open on weekends, offers exhibits on current research as well as twenty-three model dioramaDiorama
The word diorama can either refer to a nineteenth century mobile theatre device, or, in modern usage, a three-dimensional full-size or miniature model, sometimes enclosed in a glass showcase for a museum...
s portraying the history, conservation and management of New England woodlands. A sixty-seat lecture hall is located in the museum.
Harvard Forest staff and students conduct educational programs and guided natural history tours for adults and children. Self guided interpretive trails are located on the property, as well as several miles of primitive roads and trails, open to the public for non motorized recreation including hiking, wildlife observation, mountain biking, cross country skiing, hunting (in season) and similar passive pursuits. Camping, fires, and motorized vehicles are not allowed. A observation tower is located on the forest's Prospect Hill Tract.
The Fisher Museum and primary trailhead are located on Massachusetts Route 32 north of Petersham center.
Harvard Forest is part of an area of over 4000 acres (16.2 km²) of protected open space including several properties owned by The Trustees of Reservations
The Trustees of Reservations
The Trustees of Reservations is a non-profit land conservation and historic preservation organization dedicated to preserving natural and historical places in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is the oldest regional land trust in the world and has 100,000 dues-paying members...
, state forest land, and the Massachusetts Audubon Society
Massachusetts Audubon Society
The Massachusetts Audubon Society, founded in 1896 by Harriet Hemenway and headquartered in Lincoln, Massachusetts, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to "Protecting the nature of Massachusetts." Mass Audubon is independent of the National Audubon Society, and in fact was founded...
's Rutland Brook Sanctuary.
