Kent Farm, one of the RTP properties, was deeded to IU in 1960 and became a research site for biologists interested in ecology and evolution.
Early studies addressed population regulation in voles, distribution of insect galls in goldenrods, movement patterns in amphibians, and sex ratios in wintering populations of Dark-eyed Juncos. Studies of the vocalizations of songbirds and bats were carried out on captive populations housed at the station.
More recently the portion of the property now known as Kent Farm Research Station has been a destination for IU classes (e.g., Biology of Birds) and a research facility for IU undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty.
Ongoing is the development of technology for tracking animal movements and study of the impact of climate change on the timing of reproduction and migration. Community members contribute to a national data repository by Mapping Avian Productivity and Survival (MAPS) and local teachers conduct a summer bird camp for grade-school kids.
Facilities, including outdoor and indoor aviaries, are available for research projects. The Kent Farm Banding Observatory (known as the "red building") serves as a base for the MAPS project and other research and educational programs.