SAU Biology Students Aid In Conservation Study

Anna-Claire Popl and John Striednig measure the trunk circumference of an Eastern white oak tree on campusSAU Biology students in Dr. Barnard’s Ecology lab became part of a network of volunteers collecting samples of eastern white oak trees across 34 states in the central and eastern US. The students identified white oak trees on NPC’s campus, learned common field techniques, collected leaf, twig, and acorn samples, and made observations about the trees’ growth and development.

This citizen science project, organized by Adventure Scientists, will use the samples collected to develop genetic markers to aid in identification of illegally logged tree species.

The Adventure Scientists’ mission states, “We equip conservation leaders with the data they need to address critical challenges to the environment. We achieve our mission by mobilizing volunteers from the outdoor community to collect high-quality scientific data at an otherwise unachievable scale.”

Photo: Anna-Claire Pope and John Striednig measure the trunk circumference of an Eastern white oak tree on campus. Photo credit: Darbie McKnight