Climate-Ready Woodlands: Tree Trackers
About the project
Minnesota’s climate is shifting. Our forests are getting warmer and wetter, changing the habitat suitability for species in regions across the state.
Climate scientists with the USDA Forest Service have identified a number of species with the potential to migrate into new ranges as the climate continues to change. We are asking volunteers to become Tree Trackers to help find, identify and report these trees to iNaturalist. Follow the steps below to join the project.
Note: Volunteers who have planted any of these trees in their yards or landscapes can opt to join the Tree Steward Journal project to help researchers fill in vital knowledge gaps about the survival, health and ecological interactions of climate migrant trees. Visit the Tree Steward Journal project webpage to learn how you can help.
Get involved
Step 1: Register for the project
Getting your contact information allows us to communicate with you about the project, ask follow up questions, and send you information on other volunteer opportunities. Please tell us a bit about yourself in this short form (make sure to click "Submit" when you're finished).
Step 2: Learn tree identification for your region
The tree species that may have new habitat potential in Minnesota's future climate vary by ecoregion. Find the list of trees with migration potential for your region and learn how to identify them. If you need a little help telling oaks and hickories apart to species, especially those new to Minnesota, check out some great resources here.
Step 3: Record observations in iNaturalist
If a tree is tended, like in a yard or park, please click the "It is captive or cultivated" option when you make the report in iNaturalist. Watch this short video to learn how to make an observation using the iNaturalist mobile app.