James H. Barrow Field Station
The James H. Barrow Field Station was established in 1960 to provide Hiram College students with the opportunity to supplement classroom activities with hands-on learning experiences. Since then, the field station has developed into an active research and educational facility that enhances the College's science and
environmental studies programs and provides a means for the general public to increase their understanding and appreciation of Ohio natural history. Experiences gained at the field station enhance student research, teaching, and leadership development.
The field station consists of a 360-acre parcel of land, with over 200 acres of beech-maple forest, a cold-water stream, two ponds, old fields of varying ages, young forests, crop fields, a two-mile interpretive nature trail, a waterfowl observation building and meeting center, a lab building with student research areas and natural history displays, experimental agricultural fields, and an aquatics building that includes an experimental stream and two containment pools. Station research projects are conducted in the areas of aquatic and terrestrial ecology, agroecology, and animal behavior. Students involved in these projects gain valuable research experiences and make contacts with other students and faculty through presentations of their work at professional meetings.
The field station's buildings, animals, and natural and semi-natural areas are maintained entirely by college students under the direction of a full-time director. Student workers involved with groundskeeping also gain experience with woodworking, landscaping, and trail maintenance. Teaching experience is gained through the nature education outreach programs. These programs, which are developed and executed by Hiram students, are designed to educate pre-college students about the natural history of Northeast Ohio and such critical issues as habitat preservation and conservation of natural resources.
Alumni often credit their experiences at the station as inspiration for further study in science, education, and/or environmental studies. In all activities, direct involvement of students in the learning process is the key to success.
