The Humboldt Field Research Institute The Humboldt Institute is located on the eastern coast of Maine and is perhaps best known for the extensive series of advanced and professional-level natural history science
field seminars it has offered in Maine since 1987. It publishes the
Northeastern Naturalist and
Southeastern Naturalist, two scholarly, peer-reviewed, natural history science journals which provide an integrated publishing and research resource for eastern North America, including eastern Canada. The Institute has a special interest in building upon the philosophical and intellectual legacy of Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859), the most renowned natural scientist and explorer of the first half of the 19th century. The Institute works closely in tandem with the
Eagle Hill Foundation, which has interests in interdisciplinary aspects of the study of nature and natural history. The Institute and Foundation share facilities and are working together on developing a retreat style study and meeting facility on the summit of Eagle Hill.
The SettingThe Humboldt Field Research Institute and the Eagle Hill Foundation share the densely forested summit of Eagle Hill, the highest part of Dyer Point, one of a number of peninsulas along the Downeast Maine coast. To the immediate west is the Schoodic Point section of Acadia National Park. To the immediate east is Petit Manan National Wildlife Refuge. Trails lead from the summit of Eagle Hill to a number of overlooks offering spectacular views of the coast of Maine, with its rocky and evergreen-lined shore and its many islands, bays, and peninsulas.
Eagle Hill lies within a fringe of boreal forest that extends along the coast from Canada as far as Acadia National Park. The forest is dominated by spruce and fir, with a mix of maple, birch, and other tree species. An unusually rich variety of pristine habitats can be found within a short distance of the Institute, including marine habitats, marshes, fens, raised bogs, extensive forested lands, and many lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams. For the study of natural history, the area offers outstanding and, in many ways, unparalleled study opportunities. Geologically, this area of Maine is of special interest since it is one of the world's best example of a landscape reworked by glaciers 18,000 years ago and thus serves as an open book for studying the results of the most recent Ice Age.
Courtesy Humboldt Research Station
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