Over the past fifty years, paleoecological studies have been pursued by Pete Ogden, William Benninghoff, Andrea Stevens, and our Harvard Forest group. The quality of the records differs by site: intact ponds (longest and best record), swamps/bogs or other wetlands (variable in quality and duration), and the upper ends of coastal pond (shortest, most subject to disturbance, and challenging to interpret). Our work draws from the best long records, including those for Deep (Falmouth), Blaney’s (Naushon), Black, Harlock, Seth’s, and Duarte Ponds and Cedar Tree Neck Bog, but valuable short-term perspectives come from Jernegan and Lily Ponds, Squibnocket Ridge, Ben Luce Pond, and Noman’s Island.