Help Protect an Iconic Tree Species of the Pacific Northwest this Summer

Whitebark pine is a high‑elevation keystone species that plays a critical role in alpine ecosystems, stabilizing steep slopes, regulating snowpack, and supporting wildlife. As wildfires, invasive blister rust, mountain pine beetles, and effects of a changing climate continue to impact these forests, understanding where whitebark pine persists is critical.

Adventure Scientists and the Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation have partnered to build a comprehensive, cross-agency database of whitebark pine trees, providing agencies like the U.S. Forest Service and researchers with the information they need to conserve and ultimately restore this keystone species across Oregon and Washington.

The Tracking Whitebark Pine project is currently transitioning from winter to summer fieldwork.New opportunities are coming for hikers, trail runners, mountain bikers, and alpine explorers, with upcoming efforts focused on locating trees, documenting presence/absence, and supporting cone monitoring.

If you explore alpine trails during the snow‑free season, Apply Now to stay in the loop for summer updates and ways to get involved.

Be a part of whitebark pine research in Washington and Oregon

Join us and a community of skilled mountaineers, alpine hikers, backcountry skiers, and mountain explorers to collect vital data in Washington and Oregon’s national forests.

You Will:

• • Document whitebark pine locations in targeted management zones (non-wilderness areas) with precise GPS coordinates.
  • Assess individual trees and environmental conditions.
  • Identify trees for future research and potential cone collection.

Photo credits: Top left and right: Lila Sadler; Center Top and Bottom Left: Matt Leitzinger; Bottom Right: Belfield/Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation

Conservation Impact

Every data point you collect strengthens the foundation for recovery.

Your efforts will help:

1. 1. Update models of whitebark pine presence and absence in high-priority conservation areas to inform forest management and protect this keystone species.
   2. Identify locations for additional data collection on critical threats to whitebark pine, including blister rust and mountain pine beetle.
   3. Locate areas where future whitebark pine cone collection could occur, for potential seed conservation and to focus forest health efforts.
   4. Advance restoration planning so that whitebark pine forests, and the wildlife that depend on them, endure for generations to come.

“The data collected by the Adventure Scientists would help the USFS to identify priority areas for protective and restorative management actions as well as identify areas where cone collections can be completed to acquire seed for restoration activities. While some information exists on the distribution of whitebark pine in Region 6, we believe this project will provide valuable data to help inform our efforts, while also providing spatial data that can be made available to collaborators working on various projects…” – V. Erickson, USFS Region 6 Regional Geneticist

Where Can I Search for Whitebark Pine?

Curious to what heights we’re going? Check out the project areas in the map below! We’re focusing our tracking of whitebark pines in select conservation areas in Oregon and Washington national forests. Sign up to learn more!