Project Reports and Publications

Project Reports

Tree Tracking – 2023 Tulip Poplar Report

In 2023, Adventure Scientists sampled tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) trees across 21 states in the eastern United States, an ongoing, multi-year effort to mobilize, train, and equip volunteers to collect samples from trees for scientific partners to create vital databases on tree species that will help protect forests, promote sustainable harvest, and conserve biodiversity.

Tree Tracking – 2023 Ash Report

In 2023, marking the sixth year of the Tree Tracking project, Adventure Scientists sampled green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) and white ash (Fraxinus americana) tree populations across 14 states in the eastern United States. From May through September 2023, volunteers collected 1,962 leaves and 4,794 buds. Our partners at the Schatz Center for Tree Molecular Genetics sequenced the DNA to create a genetic library that can be used to estimate diversity between and within ash popluations, drivers of genetic differences across the species range, and population size differences.

Reforestation: Western US – 2023 Report

Adventure Scientists completed a successful season of the Reforestation: Western U.S. project in 2023. Reforestation was a new project for the organization, with a goal of identifying seed cones from nine conifer (evergreen, cone-producing) species. Knowing the location and abundance of these cones is crucial for sourcing seed for widespread reforestation efforts that help ecosystems recover from disturbances like wildfires and timber harvests. Our partners at Mast Reforestation will use these data on where cones are being produced in the greatest quantities to inform targeted cone collection for reforestation projects.

Tree Tracking – 2022 Report

In 2022, we began collection of our sixth species of the Tree Tracking project with eastern white oak (Quercus alba). Volunteers collected leaf, twig, acorn caps, and tree core samples from May 2022 through December 2022. In total, 147 volunteer teams collected 4,228 samples of leaves, twigs, acorn caps, and cores from 1,567 trees. Samples were collected from 34 states in the eastern and central U.S., covering the full extent of the species range. Our partners at the U.S. Forest Service will analyze these samples to build comprehensive genetic and chemical reference libraries that will enable land managers to enforce anti-poaching regulations, improve forestry management practices, and plan for climate change impacts.

Tree Tracking – 2021 Report

Adventure Scientists’ embarked on its fifth species of the Tree Tracking project by adding eastern black walnut (Juglans nigra) sample collection. Volunteers collected leaf, twig, and tree core samples from black walnut trees from July 2021 through January 2022. In total, 145 volunteer teams collected samples from 932 trees. Their collection included 483 leaf samples, 942 twig samples, and 491 tree core samples. We took samples from black walnut trees in 32 states in the eastern and central U.S., covering the full extent of the species range. Our partners at the U.S. Forest Service will analyze these samples to build comprehensive genetic and chemical reference libraries that will enable land managers to enforce anti-poaching regulations, improve forestry management practices, and plan for climate change impacts.

Wild and Scenic Rivers – 2020 & 2021 Report

Adventure Scientists’ volunteers successfully completed the first two field seasons of the four-year-long Wild and Scenic Rivers project. The project seeks to address water quality data gaps and update the status of Wild and Scenic Rivers across the nation, improving how these river systems are managed and protected.

Conserving Biodiversity: Pollinators – Final Report 2017-2020

Tree Tracking – 2019 Report

Our 2019 Tree Tracking project focused on coast redwood, western redcedar and Alaska yellow-cedar. Volunteer adventurers collected 2,282 coast redwood samples from across entirety of the species’ natural range in an effort that supports both the US Forest Service in combatting timber theft and Save the Redwoods League in restoring forests with climate-resilient trees. Volunteers also collected 1,155 western redcedar samples and 402 Alaska yellow-cedar samples, which will help establish new genetic and chemical databases that can be used to prosecute timber theft and understand how forests are changing due to climate.

Tree Tracking – 2018 Report

The 2018 pilot season of Adventure Scientists’ Tree Tracking project engaged 110 volunteers who succeeded in sampling from 1,023 bigleaf maples across California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. The resulting collections will fuel the research and development of multiple wood identification technologies to battle against the illegal timber trade.

Conserving Biodiversity: Pollinators – 2017 Report

With 94 volunteers observing more than 500 butterflies and nearly 700 wildflowers, the results of our 2017 field season present a robust picture of backcountry biodiversity in alpine meadows of the Western United States.

Global & Gallatin Microplastics Initiatives – 2017 Final Report

Our two Microplastics Initiatives conducted surveys of microplastics pollution in aquatic ecosystems from 2013-2017. The results show that globally, microplastics are accumulating at a higher rate in marine systems than in freshwater systems and that microplastic contamination is ubiquitous across remote sample locations in both marine and freshwater systems––including glaciers.

Rare Carnivore Monitoring in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest – 2016 Report

Adventure Scientists report on the Uinta Carnivore Connectivity Project with the USDA Forest Service to train volunteers and lay out a network of 30 cameras in 14 remote drainages. The sites recorded more than 3000 camera-nights of data, fifteen species of wildlife, and nearly 20,000 camera trap images and video clips.

Marine Diversity and Protected Areas in Palau – 2015 Report

The National Geographic Pristine Seas report from their expedition to the Republic of Palau includes data from samples gathered for our Marine Microplastics Project. This report was provided to the government of Palau.

Veterans Lynx Tracking, Helena National Forest, Montana – 2015 Report

Coastal Pacific Marten Survey, Olympic National Forest – 2014 Report

Yellow Cedar Study, Southeast Alaska – 2013 Report

Camera Trap Study, Hebgen Lake, Montana – 2013 Report

Wolverine Expedition, Darhad Region, Mongolia – 2013 Report

Coastal Pacific Marten Survey, Olympic National Forest – 2013 Report

Military Veterans and Families Grizzly Tracking, Tobacco Root Mountains, Montana – 2012 Report

Wolverine Tracking, Helena National Forest, Montana – 2011

Publications