From the Red Hill estate to a field station
In 1941, John A. Roebling II donated the Red Hill estate to Richard Archbold, who established the station there on 21 July. Existing storehouses and other buildings became laboratories, offices and research facilities. Archbold had previously organised biological expeditions to New Guinea before developing his long-term Florida base.
References: [1]
Habitats and ecological processes
The Lake Wales Ridge preserves characteristic Florida scrub habitats. Research tracks plants and animals alongside fire, carbon, water and nutrient cycles, connecting species responses with the processes maintaining their environment. Scrub, wetlands and surrounding ranchlands form the setting for this place-based science.
References: [2]
Scrub-jay records since 1969
The Florida Scrub-Jay project has recorded individual life histories since 1969. Its data include annual territory maps, monthly group censuses, group composition, reproductive success, fire maps and acorn counts. These records support investigation of cooperative breeding in relation to habitat, fire and climate.
References: [3]
Long-term studies and stewardship
The station connects sustained observations with conservation, providing evidence for land managers, conservation organisations and public agencies. Research also extends to working ranchlands and wetlands. The historic Red Hill buildings were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007, preserving part of the institutional setting of its research.