Want to learn about the world around around you? Start here! Below is a collection of interdisciplinary resources dedicated to a wide variety of environmental studies and sciences. Whether you’re looking for historical botanical illustrations, biological studies of artic environments, or studies on the development of urban planning, you can likely find a good launching point for your search in one of these links.
- Andrew Garrett, Early Naturalist of Polynesia: Limited Access “American explorer, naturalist and artist Andrew Garrett (1823-1887) collected and studied Pacific Ocean region mollusks, fish, corals, echinoderms and other invertebrates, also describing and drawing watercolors of many fishes and shells. This exhibit showcases a selection of Garrett’s drawings and manuscript specimen sheets held by the Museum of Comparative Zoology Archives in the Ernst Mayr Library’s Special Collections.”
- Arctic Science: “An interdisciplinary journal, Arctic Science, publishes original research from all areas of natural science and applied science and engineering related to northern polar regions. The focus on basic and applied science includes the traditional knowledge and observations of the Indigenous peoples of the region, as well as cutting-edge developments in biological, chemical, physical and engineering science in all northern environments.”
- Botanical Illustrations: “The original works of art in the collections overseen by the Botany Libraries date from the early 1800s to the mid-1900s and include works by Harvard botanists, professional artists, “amateur” women who studied plants, and others.”
- City Maps and Urban Environments: “Navigate cities from all over the world—from London to Tokyo, Calcutta to Chicago—in this collection of scanned maps from the Harvard Map Collection. With everything from artistic prints to urban planning documents, explore the changing nature of urban life and the changing ways mapmakers have represented cities.”
- Contagion: Historical Views of Diseases and Epidemics: “Offering valuable insights to students of the history of medicine and to researchers seeking an historical context for current epidemiology, this collection contributes to our understanding of the global, social-history, and public-policy implications of disease.”
- Expeditions and Discoveries: Sponsored Exploration and Scientific Discovery in the Modern Age: “The Expeditions and Discoveries Collection includes maps, photos, and published materials, as well as field notes, letters, and a unique range of manuscript materials on selected expeditions between 1626 and 1953.”
- Jacques Burkhardt’s Scientific Drawings: “Burkhardt’s zoological drawings and landscapes produced during the Thayer Expedition (1865-1866) were the culmination of a brilliant although unpublicized career. He passed away 10 months after returning to Cambridge due to an illness aggravated by Brazil’s hot climate.”
- Scanned Maps: “Thousands of maps an atlases covering all parts of the world have been scanned and are now available online.”
The Freedom to Research 