Aton Forest as a place was established by the Egler family who purchased of Stenman Farm and surrounding 200 acres in Norfolk, Connecticut, in 1926. Over the years, the son Frank Egler added acreage, and allowed former farm fields to evolve into early successional forests and eventually into rich forest ecosystems. Frank Egler began botanical studies on the property at 16 and later dedicated himself to ecological research, including extensive studies on plant communities, forest succession, and the environmental effects of herbicides on right of ways and fields.

By 1945, Frank had moved to Norfolk full-time, gradually establishing Aton Forest as a scientific field station, where he published numerous influential studies on ecology and vegetation management, gaining recognition as a leading authority in the field.

In 1962, Aton Forest more formally took shape as a field station, eventually gaining non-profit status in 1990 to secure the land and support long-term ecological research. His wife Happy Kitchel established the Spaulding Pond Preserve in south Norfolk, which Frank Egler contributed properties to and which Aton Forest now oversees. Today, Aton Forest encompasses 2,459 acres of semi-managed and conserved lands, safeguarding nearly 1,500 acres and holding conservation easements on an additional 997 acres, including the Spaulding Pond Preserve. Dedicated to Frank Egler’s vision, Aton Forest continues its mission of “long-term, low-cost, low-impact” research, supported by the Aton Forest Fellowship, which advances studies on local flora, fauna, and ecological processes.