TREE TRACKING & FOREST CONSERVATION

Adventure Scientists’ Tree Tracking & Forest Conservation program mobilizes volunteers to collect tree samples for scientific partners to help protect forests, promote sustainable harvest, and conserve biodiversity. From whitebark pine and eastern hemlock to butternut, beech, ash, and redwood, volunteers help scientists protect forests, restore threatened species, combat disease, and improve climate resilience.

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Twelve Species Throughout the United States

Read about the tree species targeted by this project so far (slideshow automatically plays).

Overview

Ranging from Alaska to California and coast to coast, the tree species in this project are particularly vulnerable to timber poaching. Many are also threatened by climate change. Each species faces distinct challenges and has a biological, cultural, and conservation story of its own.

Our volunteers leverage their skills and local knowledge to collect tree samples at the geographic scale and quantity needed to accomplish ambitious scientific goals.

Bigleaf maple

Acer macrophyllum

2018

This hardwood species, whose common name reflects dinner-plate-sized leaves, is targeted by poaching for spectacularly-patterned wood often used in guitars and furniture. Data collection for this species is complete.

Coast redwood

Sequoia sempervirens

2019

The tallest trees in the world, old-growth coast redwoods now occupy only 4% of their historic range. Understanding their genetic diversity will improve forest management and help guard against the negative impacts of climate change. Data collection for this species is complete.

Western redcedar

Thuja plicata

2019-2020

Not a true cedar, but an arborvitae or “tree of life,” this species has provided indigenous communities with countless practical and cultural uses for thousands of years. Its size, fragrant and rot-resistant wood now makes it a target for illegal logging operations. Data collection for this species is complete.

Alaska yellow-cedar

Callitropsis nootkatensis

2019-2020

A dramatic droop to its branches makes this species instantly recognizable even without seeing the tell-tale color of its wood. Now across large parts of its range, changing climate patterns are causing mass die-offs of this treasured tree. Data collection for this species is complete.

Eastern black walnut

Juglans nigra

2021

Once widespread across the United States, black walnut trees are becoming increasingly rare as high prices for their smooth, dark wood drive illegal logging. Large specimens are lucrative, fetching up to $50,000 (U.S.) at market.

We completed data collection for this species in January 2022. Data and samples are with the U.S. Forest Service for analysis.

Eastern white oak

Quercus alba L.

2022

An iconic, widespread tree in the eastern and central U.S. and Canada.

Recent years have increased demand for eastern white oak, which is desirable for whiskey and wine barrels, furniture, and finishings. This demand coupled with continuing lumber shortages from the COVID-19 pandemic drives theft of this species. Also, timber poachers sell illegally harvested Mongolian white oak by labeling the wood as eastern white oak to bypass regulations.

We completed data collection for this species in January 2023. Data and samples are with the U.S. Forest Service for analysis.

Tulip poplar

Liriodendron tulipifera

2023

These trees are in the the same family as magnolias (Magnoliaceae). Its many common names include tulip poplar, tulip tree, tulipwood, yellow poplar, blue-poplar, whitewood, and canoewood.

A tall, quickly-growing tree, tulip poplar is the third most exported hardwood from the U.S. On the international market, tulip poplar offers an attractive, sustainable replacement for light tropical hardwoods from vulnerable forests.

Volunteers collected samples of tulip poplar from May through December 2023.

Green and White Ash

Fraxinus americana and F. pennsylvanica

2023

Ash serves a vital role in the forests of North America. The three species provide critical habitat, water and nutrient cycling, and are essential trees for Indigenous cultures and heritage.

However, the spread of the non-native emerald ash borer has decimated eastern ash trees – green, white, and black ash – causing one of the most destructive insect invasions in U.S. forests to date. As emerald ash borer spreads, we risk losing these keystone tree species entirely.

Scientists are pursuing research to preserve, conserve, and restore ash tree species in the wake of emerald ash borer destruction. Adventure Scientists volunteers collected green and white ash leaves and buds to be analyzed for genetics that convey resistance and resilience against the emerald ash borer from May through September 2023.

Eastern Hemlock

Tsuga canadensis

2025

Eastern hemlock is a foundation species that helps regulate stream temperatures, store carbon, and create habitat for wildlife throughout forests of the eastern United States. Its dense canopy shapes entire ecosystems, supporting everything from brook trout to migratory birds.

However, the spread of the invasive hemlock woolly adelgid has caused widespread decline and mortality across much of the species’ range, threatening forests that depend on eastern hemlock for stability and ecological function.

Scientists are working to identify and propagate trees that show natural resistance to the adelgid. Adventure Scientists volunteers helped locate and document “lingering” eastern hemlocks that have survived infestation and may possess genetic resistance, providing valuable data to support future breeding, restoration, and conservation efforts.

Data collection was completed in March 2025 and is with the US Forest Service.

Whitebark Pine

Pinus albicaulis

2025 – 2027

Whitebark pine is a high-elevation keystone species found throughout mountain ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest. These trees help stabilize slopes, regulate snowpack, and support wildlife ranging from Clark’s nutcrackers to grizzly bears.

Today, whitebark pine is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act and faces growing pressure from white pine blister rust, mountain pine beetles, wildfires, and climate change. Across much of its range, populations continue to decline.

The US Forest Service and Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation are working to identify healthy populations and prioritize restoration efforts. Adventure Scientists volunteers are currently documenting whitebark pine locations, assess tree health, and collect critical field data that helps guide conservation planning, cone collection, and long-term recovery efforts across Washington and Oregon.

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American Beech

Fagus grandifolia

May – September 2026

American beech is one of the most recognizable and ecologically important trees in eastern North American forests. It provides habitat and food for wildlife, helps maintain healthy forest ecosystems, and often remains a dominant component of mature forests for centuries.

However, beech populations are increasingly threatened by beech bark and beech leaf diseases. As these threats expand across the eastern United States, healthy beech trees are becoming increasingly rare.

Scientists at the University of Connecticut are searching for trees that may possess natural resistance to these diseases. Adventure Scientists volunteers are currently helping identify and document healthy American beech trees across the species’ range, generating data that supports research, forest management, and future conservation efforts.

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Butternut (White Walnut)

Juglans cinerea

May – September 2026

Butternut is a naturally rare tree species that contributes to forest biodiversity, supports wildlife, and has cultural significance throughout eastern North America.

The primary threat to the species is butternut canker, a disease that has killed much of the remaining population and continues to limit natural regeneration. Today, relatively few healthy trees remain across the species’ historic range.

Scientists at Purdue University are working to identify and conserve trees that may possess disease-resistant genetics. Adventure Scientists volunteers are currently locating butternut trees, assessing their health, and collecting leaf samples that will help researchers better understand the species and support future restoration and reforestation efforts.

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How Our Partners Use Tree Tracking Data to Drive Change

Planning, permitting, analysis, interpretation, and implementation all require the coordinated actions of many players. We are proud to be working with leading organizations in the research, management, and conservation of forests and tree species.

Our partners at the U.S. Forest Service and elsewhere will use the reference libraries of each tree species to track the movement of timber through supply chains, enforce anti-poaching regulations, empower responsible buyers, improve sustainable resource management, and help forest managers plan for the varied impacts of a changing climate.

Our partners at Save the Redwoods League are linking genetic information from coast redwood samples with the environmental characteristics of each tree’s site—giving clues about the function of the genetic variation within each species. This information will help guide conservation and restoration strategies across the coast redwood range.

New Mexico State University’s Conservation Genomics Lab focuses on identifying biological samples, particularly with respect to their geographic origin. The lab couples Next Generation Sequencing data with improved models of genetic differentiation across species’ ranges to pinpoint the source of origin of timber.

Our partners at the World Resources Institute helped to design and guide the project, leveraging their expertise in illegal logging and associated trade. The Institute is a strategy-minded, results-oriented, and outcomes-driven ‘do-tank’ with a strong track record in catalyzing cutting-edge technology to solve environmental problems.

The USA National Phenology Network collaborated with us for the eastern white oak project. The project protocols for eastern white oak data collection are based in part on the USA-NPN’s protocols aimed to understand how oaks are adapting to new environmental conditions. These data are a part of the Quercus Quest Campaign.

The Morton Arboretum is using samples gathered across the eastern white oak range to build tools useful in conserving native oak communities. By analyzing leafs collected by our volunteers, the researchers will train algorithms to identify the unique light wavelengths that oak leaves reflect. This technique will allow land managers to more accurately assess oak populations using remote imaging.

The Schatz Center for Tree Molecular Genetics is working to find solutions to the invasive emerald ash borer (EAB). Ash tree samples from our volunteers will be aid work to preserve, conserve, and restore iconic ash tree species. Samples from this project will provide much needed information on evolutionary and ecological factors influencing ash species’ genetic variation range wide, and enhance understanding of EAB-ash dynamics and the genetics of resistance.

Holden Forests & Gardens in partnership with Adventure Scientists, coordinated a collaboration of many organizations and stakeholders for eastern hemlock conservation. The Nature Conservancy, NC State University, the Hemlock Restoration Initiative, the Forest Restoration Alliance, the University of Tennessee Knoxville, Cornell University, and the Great Lakes Basin Forest Health Collaborative are other partners working on this widespread collaboration.

The Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation (WPEF) will host a whitebark pine restoration data hub that makes data accessible across government agencies to improve conservation and management practices of whitebark pine trees. The purpose of the project is to provide the necessary data to accurately identify individual whitebark pine trees and ground truth NASA satellite data to build a database of whitebark pine locations/spectral signatures for effective management.

The Science of Tree Tracking

PC: Ed Espinoza, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Once collected, samples undergo two forms of processing: Mass Spectrometry-Data Analysis in Real Time (MS-DART or DART) and genetic analysis.

DART reveals distinct chemical signatures in each sample. As the tree takes up water and nutrients through its roots throughout its life, it develops a distinctive chemical signature. Recognizing these signatures will allows us to identify the geographic origin of a sample.

Genetic analysis reveals the naturally occurring variation and interrelatedness of all trees within a species. Like the DART analysis, genetic analysis shows the origin of a piece of timber. This analysis also informs scientists’ understanding of how a species responds and adapts to particular conditions or challenges, such as climate change or pressure from an invasive species. This understanding allows for better management of existing and expanding forests. The resulting database will yield a “family tree” like no other.

Hear what our Forest Service partners have to say about the Tree Tracking Project!

Dr. Richard Cronn, a geneticist with the US Forest Service, shares with volunteers how they help build some of the most extensive and useful genetic datasets for the tree species in this project.

Keep up with Tree Tracking Project Progress

Here’s where volunteers have collected data for the project over the years.

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Timber & Tree Tracking Project on PBS

Get a firsthand view of our Timber / Tree Tracking project from the forest to the forensics lab in this 12-minute film featuring our scientific partners and volunteers from Earth Focus: Season 2, Episode 3 on PBS

Learn More Through Our Tree Tracking Project Reports

Adventure Scientists volunteers have helped collect data on more than a dozen tree species across North America, supporting research on illegal logging prevention, biodiversity conservation, disease resistance, climate adaptation, and forest restoration. These efforts help scientists, land managers, universities, and government agencies make better decisions for the future of our forests.

American Beech & Butternut Trees

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Whitebark Pine

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Eastern Hemlock

VIEW 2025 FIELD REPORT

Tulip Poplar

VIEW 2024 FIELD REPORT

Green and White Ash

VIEW 2023 FIELD REPORT

Eastern White Oak

VIEW 2022 FIELD REPORT