Taking to the woods

For a handful of Harvard undergraduate and graduate students, the January semester break included a rare treat — a hands-on, up-close-and-personal visit to the Harvard Forest in Petersham, Mass.

The multi-day program, which included both time spent in the classroom and time spent outdoors in the forest, covered a wide range of topics, from science to art to rural planning, and how each could be related to the forest itself.

In addition to learning about the forest, students also got a close-up look at several of the ongoing research projects taking place there.

“I read the biographies of the students that came this year, and it was interesting how many of them had not spent much time outdoors,” said Emery Boose, senior investigator at the forest. “One of the things we always hope for with all our programs is, even in the short time that they’re here, to generate some love and interest in the outdoors, and in protecting the outdoors.”