How You Can Collect Tree DNA Samples & Help Fight Illegal Logging

Illegal logging erodes biodiversity, exacerbates climate change, and bankrolls political corruption. Law enforcement officers, corporations, and consumers require new tools to trace wood products back to their points of origin. Cutting-edge genetic technologies can help, but in order to do so, they will require extensive reference materials from high-value timber species.

As an Adventure Scientists volunteer, you can provide these currently unavailable samples and help unlock the potential of DNA-based technologies to combat illegal logging.

2018 Field Season:
Bigleaf Maple in Pacific North America

The first season of this project is focused solely on collecting samples from bigleaf maple trees along the Pacific coast of North America. We are seeking two tiers of volunteers: leaf crew and wood crew. Both crews require dedication and attention to detail, but because wood crew volunteers will collect several types of tree samples (as opposed to only leaves), these volunteers will need to commit more time to training and sampling over the spring/summer season.

To volunteer for either crew, you will need to:

Be at least 18 years old.
Live in or be traveling extensively within California, Oregon, Washington, or British Columbia in Spring-Summer 2018.
Own or have access to an iPhone 6 or Android equivalent (or later generation smartphone) for data collection.

infographic: How it works

Complete online training and pass a quiz to demonstrate mastery of the protocols.
Embark on quick roadside jaunts or multi-day expeditions, depending on your location within the range of bigleaf maple.
Collect a target number of samples across a specific geographic zone and mail these samples to Adventure Scientists.
Follow all safety, permitting, and scientific protocols.

In 2015, Julie Hotz biked from L.A. to Montana, then thru-hiked to the coast of Oregon. Along the way she collected data for our Wildlife Connectivity and Microplastics projects. This summer, your hiking and biking adventures could be a part of our new Timber project, advancing research and protecting trees. Photo by Julie Hotz

The trunks and branches of bigleaf maple in the Pacific Northwest support such extensive growth of moss and lichens that they become mini-forests in themselves. PC: Don Dolde (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Timing and Locations

The field season is now active in all regions:

Southern California
Northern California
Oregon
Washington & British Columbia

We are actively seeking motivated volunteers in all zones outlined in red on this map.

At this point in the field season, in the final weeks before the leaves begin to change, we are requesting that applicants in these zones commit to quick turn-around on all project training requirements.

You may still apply as a back-up volunteer in a grey zone.

Project end dates will vary according to local conditions, but you can expect that sampling in all zones will wrap up in September.

Apply for Leaf Crew

Apply for Wood Crew

The Crews in More Detail

Photo by John B. Hanle

Leaf Crew

As a leaf crew volunteer, you will collect high-quality leaf samples suitable for DNA extraction, and you will record associated field data in a mobile app at each collection site.

Here are a few more key details:

Volunteer Team: Though not required, priority will be given to volunteers who sign up for a zone as team members rather than singletons. Volunteers who work as a team can coordinate most effectively to reach sampling targets.
Number of Samples: You will be responsible for locating and sampling leaves from 10-20 trees spread across your volunteer zone.
Geographic Area: In most cases, you will be able to reach any given part of a leaf crew zone within a one-hour drive. In most cases, a team of volunteers will sign up for only one zone, but you can elect to be responsible for multiple zones if you can commit to meeting the sampling targets for each of your chosen zones.
Equipment: You can expect to carry a gallon-sized zip-top bag full of sampling supplies into the field. Sampling equipment will be supplied by Adventure Scientists.

Skills you will develop:

How to identify a bigleaf maple
How to locate potential bigleaf maple habitat
How to implement a scientific protocol
How to collect, preserve, and label genetic samples

Apply for Leaf Crew

Volunteer using a coring tool to get a wood sample from a tree.

Photo by Adventure Scientists

Wood Crew

As a wood crew volunteer, you will collect tree cores, branch cross-sections, and voucher specimens, in addition to leaf samples suitable for DNA extraction. You will also record field data in a mobile app at each collection site. Voucher specimens require you to dry several leaves and seeds in a 9"x12" plant press. You will check on your pressed plants periodically over the following weeks to make sure they are properly dried.

Here are a few more key details:

Volunteer Team: You are required to have a team of two or more to be eligible for wood crew.
Number of Samples: You will be responsible for locating and taking wood/leaf samples from 5-10 trees spread across your volunteer zone.
Geographic Area: In most cases, you will be able to reach any given part of a wood crew zone within a three-hour drive.
Equipment: You can expect to carry a hand saw, a pole saw/pruner, an increment borer for tree coring, and a plant press into the field in addition to a gallon-sized zip-top bag full of sampling supplies. Sampling equipment will be supplied by Adventure Scientists.

Skills you will develop: