On September 6, 2024, twelve members of Yale Environmental Humanities—graduate students, postdoctoral associates, faculty, and administrators—embarked from Branford, Connecticut, on the Thimble Island Ferry for a journey to Horse Island. Located one and a half miles off the coast in the Long Island Sound, Horse Island is the largest and least developed island in the Thimble Islands archipelago. Acquired by the Yale Peabody Museum in 1971 as a research site for coastal and marine studies, Horse Island has long served as both an ecological field station and a pedagogical resource for environmental education.
The maritime excursion—organized by Faculty Director Paul Sabin and Graduate Coordinator Colton Klein—was first proposed by the Yale Environmental Humanities Graduate Student Advisory Council in the spring of 2024 to foster community-building among interdisciplinary Humanities scholars united by their shared interest in environmental issues. After arriving onshore, the group received a tour from David Heiser, Director of Student Programs at the Peabody Museum, who shared insights into Horse Island’s ecosystems, its environmental history, and its cutting-edge research station, designed by the Yale School of Architecture’s Regenerative Building Lab in collaboration with New Haven-based GOA Architecture.
Heiser guided the group on an afternoon-long walking tour that traversed Horse Island’s diverse ecosystems, from its tidal wetlands and rocky shorelines to its coastal woodlands. While continuing to operate as sites of ecological research and teaching, these landscapes are now also home to environmentally-focused artist residencies and writing workshops.
With panoramic views of the island’s woodlands and rocky shoreline, the newly-built regenerative research station served as a home base for discussions throughout the afternoon. Heiser explained that the structure—sustainably constructed with cross-laminated timber and other locally sourced, salvaged materials—reflects a “design for disassembly” approach that allows it to be deconstructed and reused. Students were deeply involved in every stage of the project, from initial design to on-site assembly, gaining hands-on experience in creating a building that operates entirely off-grid and minimizes environmental impact.
Following the tour, the group explored the island’s trails and shoreline, engaging in unstructured conversations, sketching, and writing. This time also served as a catalyst for brainstorming future Environmental Humanities engagements with the island, including workshops, graduate symposiums, and individual research initiatives.
As Yale continues to explore new ways to utilize Horse Island, it remains both a living laboratory and an educational resource for the environmental humanities. Its evolving role highlights the importance of mutually enriching conversations between the arts and sciences, offering fresh approaches to studying and addressing environmental issues across disciplines.