Harvard Forest Schoolyard Ecology Newsletter-Winter 2025-2026

Welcome winter!

Though the woods are quieter with the cold, we are still hopping around like spring tails on snow (okay, maybe that was too cheesy even for me), but there is a lot going on, so please read on!

If you read until the end you’ll be rewarded by a photograph of the northern lights over Harvard Forest from November.

2026 Massachusetts State Teacher of the Year awarded to one of our own!

A huge congratulations to Schoolyard Ecology educator and collaborator Dr. Tara Goodhue who was named the DESE 2026 Massachusetts Teacher of the year! We are so proud of you! Tara has been a Schoolyard Ecology collaborator since 2017. Check out this spotlight to find out more about her current work with schoolyard and from the archives, this blog post documenting Tara’s first visit to Harvard Forest eight years ago!

Supporting Schoolyard Ecology

For over 20 years, the Harvard Forest Schoolyard community has brought young people outdoors to collect scientific data in their local environment and given teachers the support they need to teach real science with real data. This season of giving, help us continue to build data literacy and engage the next generation of climate leaders by connecting students with their natural world.

As a non profit, we are supported by grants and charitable foundations. We are not looking for or expecting educators to give unless you are so moved, but we would be grateful if you could forward this in your network of organizations (PTAs and Community Boosters, etc.) that support classroom and community activities for your schools or consider amplify this message on social media.

You can give here:

https://community.alumni.harvard.edu/give/51710996

Data Report

Now that we are in our 21st year, wonderful Mass Audubon volunteer Alison Pedraza has been helping us take stock of what stories we can tell about our region from our data. The above graph shows the mean growing season days for Acer Rubrum, red maple, from 2005-2024. The data shown here represents thousands of data points collected from around our community for all red maple species in the data base. It is a remarkable illustration of participatory science and what our students have been contributing to! I wonder what else we’ll be able to find out? Our database is public and we encourage all of our participants to dig in, ask questions, and share what they find!

Registration for Winter Data Workshops

The fall has fallen and the data is collected. It is now time to think about one of our favorite winter traditions for Schoolyard Ecology--Winter Data Workshop! We will get cozy, get that data entered, and think about what the science is telling you about your schoolyard.

REGISTER HERE FOR WINTER DATA WORKSHOPS

We are excited that we have have the opportunity to offer TWO options again this year! Follow the registration link above for more details.

Option 1: Tuesday, January 27th, 2026, Full Data Workshop in Petersham

Option 2: Tuesday, February 10th, 2026, Level 1 only workshop in Cambridge

Winter/Spring Educator Community zoom calls

Wednesday, January 7th, 2026: Drawing in the Biology Classroom 2.0: Color Pencil

On January 7, 2026, 3:30pm-4:30pm, art-science educator and Harvard Forest Bullard Fellow Nancy Lowe will offer PART TWO of a zoom professional development workshop for biology / life science educators – using drawing as a teaching tool, with a focus on color pencil. We will cover basic color theory and techniques for using color pencil in nature journaling or scientific illustration.

Prerequisite is either attendance at the Part 1 workshop on November 5, or if you missed it you can view the video recording (contact Katharine Hinkle for the video link).A set of Berol Prismacolor color pencils is optional but recommended – see supply list here. Register for January zoom call here

Wednesday, February 4th, 2026: Misconceptions in Science-misconceptions play a huge role in Science education. Bring your favorite misconception or story about teaching or uncovering your own misconception! Register for February call here

Wednesday, March 4th, 2026: Podcast Club! A number of us have been interested in discussing Ethan Tapper’s How to Love a Forest. We plan on listening to this podcast episode from Nature’s Archive interviewing the author and see where the conversation takes us. Register for March call here

Wednesday, April 1st, 2026: TBD Science Talk, come hear about active Harvard Forest research projects currently happening. Register for April call here

Wednesday, May 6th, 2026: Spring Share out. What did we see this year in our schoolyards? Register for May call here

New! The Journal of Schoolyard Ecology, volume 1

We have an exciting new opportunity for all schoolyard classrooms! This year I’ve been working with Harvard Graduate School of Education PhD candidate Jen Nilsen on a project that we hope will both enhance climate literacy while centering student voice. We bring you the first ever (and hopefully annual) Harvard Forest Schoolyard Ecology Student Journal! The idea is modeled off peer-reviewed scientific journals, and it’s meant to put different schoolyard field sites in conversation with each other.

We hope that this publication will include articles analyzing the data that your classroom has collected through the Harvard Forest Schoolyard Ecology program. We don’t want to limit participation, so we’re also open to the inclusion of literature reviews, data visualizations, art, and/or photography. Whole classrooms or individual students (or groups of students or multiple individuals/groups in the same classroom analyzing different datasets) can submit – it’s up to your interest and discretion.

Interested in hearing more? Please fill out this interest form by December 22nd, 2025

More Harvard Forest Schoolyard in the news!

Hear more about two of our newer sites that work with some of our youngest learners!

Farmington Land Trust, Connecticut with educator Sally Chaves

Sandwich Public School, Massachusetts with educator Chrissi Howell

Interested in getting the good news of your schoolyard program out into the world? Check out our resources developed by Harvard Forest’s Education and Outreach Director Clarisse Hart for writing a press release. Feel free to reach out to me to talk more about how to make this happen!

Northern Lights over Harvard Forest

Thanks for reading until the end!

Supporters