OnX – Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest

OnX – Colville National Forest

OnX – Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest

OnX – Gifford Pinchot National Forest

There is no required distance between surveys in areas with abundant whitebark pine. The goal is to collect enough observations along your route to capture the bigger picture of the landscape.

In these areas, submit surveys periodically as you move along your route—about every ¼ to ½ mile is ideal. For example, you might submit a survey at the bottom of a hill and another at the top of the next knoll or opening if whitebark pine is still present. If you’re unsure which tree to survey, choose the healthiest-looking whitebark pine in the area.

Coverage and spread along your route are more important than surveying every single tree.

GPX files work with Gaia GPS+ and onX

KMZ files work with Avenza and CalTopo

Get up close and examine the needles!

Western white pine needles have fine serrations along the edges. If you gently run your fingers from the tip of the needle toward the base, they will feel slightly rough. These needles are also longer, softer, and more flexible.

Whitebark pine needles lack serrations and will feel completely smooth when you run your fingers along them. They are shorter, stiffer, and tend to appear more rigid, holding their shape even in windy conditions.

The best option is to download the KMZ file from the Trail and Project Boundary Files section above and upload it into an offline mapping app. If you don’t already use one, we recommend Avenza, which is free and works offline.

Once you upload the correct National Forest map, you’ll be able to see your location, all approved survey areas above 5,250 feet, and nearby iNaturalist observations that can help you identify where potential whitebark pine sightings have occurred in the field.

Submitting a trip report after your field adventure helps us track how many miles were surveyed, understand access conditions, and see which areas have already been covered. This information allows us to focus future volunteer efforts on areas that are still under-surveyed and ensures our data is as useful as possible for researchers.

Including a screenshot or GPX file of your route helps us accurately capture this information.

The trip planning map at the top of the Volunteer Homepage displays observations submitted by all volunteers. Observations appear as circles, while trip reports appear as a circle with a walking figure. If you see these icons along a trail, that area has already been surveyed, and we recommend choosing a different route for your observations.

If you’ve recorded data in Survey123 but don’t see your observations on the map, check the Survey123 outbox or draft folders. Observations are saved there when you’re out of service, but have not been submitted. Once you send them, the icons should appear on the map within about an hour.

The winter timeline comes at the request of USFS Region 6 and some practical aspects of running a citizen science project. Starting with an initial winter project allows us to begin building the dataset and engage volunteers and then the project will expand in the spring. Winter also provides access to some remote whitebark stands that are only practical to reach on snow.

We are currently running the winter edition of this project and plan to collect observations through March. We hope to extend the project into the spring and summer, but that will depend on receiving enough observations during the winter season. The sooner you’re able to get out into the field, the more it helps support a potential extension!

Absolutely: You can find that here: https://vimeo.com/1143593967?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci

Open the Survey123 app and check your “Sent” box in the Tracking Whitebark Pine survey. If any surveys are stuck in your Outbox or Drafts, we haven’t received your data yet.

We strongly encourage volunteers to head into the field with a partner.

Not only is it safer, but most protocols are easier to complete with an extra set of hands. Having a field buddy is highly recommended.

Wait a couple minutes to allow multiple satellites to pass and triangulate your position for more accuracy.

If you can’t get it <5m, please continue the survey, and get it as close as you can. We can still use the information about the tree!

Schedule a time during our office hours to chat with our team.

No problem, our Survey 123 app allows you to fill out the survey while offline and upload to our system once you regain internet or signal.

Please email whitebarkpine@adventurescientists.org