Tracking Eastern Hemlock Tracking Eastern
PROJECT REPORT
JULY 2025
Apartnershipwith
Hemlock
A c a c i a , T r a c k i n g
E a s t e r n H e m l o c k
v o l u n t e e r , i n s p e c t i n g e a s t e r n
h e m l o c k n e e d l e s .
Photo Credit: Volunteer / Acacia F.
Observations Submitted 1521
Average Number of Observations Per Day 32.7
Trails Surveyed 312
Average Number of Active Volunteers Per Day 4.6
National Forests Surveyed 7
Most Observations in One Day Feb. 8 and March 1 126
Winter2025broughtanewkindofadventure:thesearchforeastern hemlock !Bundledupandreadyforanything, AdventureScientists’volunteersturnedsnowytrails,frozenforests,and frostyclimbsintoagiant,real-worldscavengerhunt—onethatmadeareal impactforscience.
Withtheleavesdownandsnowontheground,winterwastheperfect timetospoteasternhemlockstandingproudagainstthelandscape,and tocatchsightofthetiny,fuzzysignsoftheinvasivehemlockwoolly adelgid .Thechallenge?Findandassessthehealthof asmanyeasternhemlocktreesaspossibleacrosssevennationalforestsin Kentucky,NewYork,NorthCarolina,Tennessee,Virginia,andWest Virginia.
Theprojectwindowwasshortwithjustthreecold,snowymonthsmaking everyoutingcount.Volunteersjumpedin,knowingthatwinterconditions gavethemthebestshotatspottingeasternhemlocktreeseasilyagainst thebarelandscapeandfindingsignsoftheinvasivewoollyadelgid.Itwas araceagainsttheseason,andateamefforteverystepoftheway.
Easternhemlocktreesaretrueforestsuperheroesastheyprovidewildlife habitat,stabilizesoil,filterwater,andstorecarbon.Butthey’reunder seriousthreat. S U M M A
Photo Credit: The Pisgah Conservancy / Nina A.
(Tsuga canadensis)
(Adelges tsugae)
Everyhemlocklocatedhelpsscientistsgetclosertosavingthiskeystone speciesandtheecosystemsthatdependonit.
Formanyvolunteers,thisprojectwasnotjustaboutscience;itwas personal. “Ireallyloveeasternhemlock.They’reatreethatIfeelaconnectiontoand seeinmanyoftheplacesIlovetohike,”sharedvolunteerSophieA.“I’ve beendistressedaboutthedeclininghemlocksinmanyofmyfavorite placesundertheonslaughtofthehemlockwoollyadelgidsandhavefelt sadandhopelessaboutit.ItfeltgreattogetoutinthefieldandfeellikeI couldcontributesomethingtothepreservationofthistreeIlove.”
ArmedwithGPSapps,fieldguides,andasharedmission,volunteers bravedthecold,cheeredeachotheron,andbuiltacommunityaround theirwinteradventures.TheirdataisnowhelpingpartnerslikeHolden ForestsandGardensandForestRestorationAlliancepinpointthestrongest treestobreedandprotectforthefuture.
Thiswasn’tjustscience.Itwasateamefforttoprotectsomethingbig,and haveablastdoingit.Whenyoucombinecommunitysciencewithoutdoor adventure,everyonewins.
Photo Credit: The Pisgah Conservancy / Nina A.
EasternhemlockisakeystonespeciesineasternNorthAmerican forests,playingacriticalecologicalroleinregulatingstream temperatures,stabilizingsoils,supportingwildlifehabitat,and maintainingwaterquality,nutrientcycling,andcarbonsequestration. However,thisfoundationalspecieshasbeeninsteepdeclinesincethe mid-20thcenturyduetoinfestationbytheinvasivehemlockwoolly adelgid ,anaphid-likeinsectintroducedfromAsia.
(Adelges tsugae)
Thisprojectfocusedonidentifyingcandidatelingeringhemlocks treesthathave survivedwoollyadelgidinfestationandmayharbornaturalgeneticresistance.These individualsrepresentacrucialopportunityforforestrestorationefforts,astheycould formthebasisforbreedingprogramsandlong-termconservationstrategies.
Bylocatingandstudyingthesesurvivors,wesupportcollaborativeresearch intoresistancemechanisms,contributetoadaptiveforestmanagement approaches,andultimatelyenabletherecoveryofeasternhemlock populations.Continuedinvestmentinthisworkisessentialnotonlyfor preservingbiodiversity,butalsoformaintainingtheecologicalserviceson whichdownstreamcommunitiesandecosystemsdepend.
Thehemlockwoollyadelgidisatinyinsectthatinfests easternhemlocktreesandfeedsontheirnewest needles,causingneedleloss.Theinsect’scotton-like eggsacsarefoundontheundersideofhemlock branchesbeforehatchingandinfestingthetree.
Theinsectreproducesasexually,andwithnocurrent naturalpredatorsinNorthAmerica,itspreadsrapidly anddevastateshemlockforests.
I D E N T I F Y I N G
I D E N T I F Y I N G
E A S T E R N H E M L O C K
E A S T E R N H E M L O C K
Easternhemlockbarkcanrangefromacinnamonbrownto ashgraycolor.
Hemlockshaveflat,shortneedles,usuallyunderoneinch long,andoftenoccurnearcreeks.Alloftheneedlesoccur onthesameplane.
Thecones a penny.
New York
7.FingerLakesNationalForest
How were observations made?
WhileusingtheTreeSnapapptorecordeasternhemlockobservations,volunteersfolloweda standardizedprotocoltoensureconsistent,high-qualitydatacollection.Treeswereidentified basedondistinctivecharacteristicssuchasbarktextureandcolorandneedlearrangement. Volunteerswereaskedtoassesswhethereachtreeorgroupoftreeswasaliving“lingering” individual—appearingtobesurvivingahemlockwoollyadelgidinfestation—oranon-living treeshowingnosignsofhealthyfoliage.
Toevaluateinfestationseverity,volunteerscategorizedthepresenceofhemlockwoolly adelgidintooneofthreelevels:light,moderate,orheavy.Additionally,usingaflexible measuringtape,theyrecordedtreecircumferenceatbreastheighttosupportongoing monitoringoftreegrowthandhealthovertime.
How were surveys analyzed?
AsvolunteerssubmittedobservationsinTreeSnap,thedatapopulatedaliveprojectmapon theAdventureScientists’website.ProjectpartnershaveaccesstotheTreeSnapdataandwill analyzealldatasubmissionsforbestcandidatelingeringhemlocksforfutureseedcollection.
Tosupportthisproject,AdventureScientistspartneredwithTreeSnap,acitizensciencesmartphoneapplicationdesignedtohelpidentify andrecordthelocationsofmanydifferenttreespecies.TreeSnapenablesusers—includingconcernedcitizens,landowners,andforesters— torecorddataontreehealthforuseinscientificresearch.TheAdventureScientistsTeamcollaboratedwiththeapplicationdevelopersto createaspecialdesignationfortheTrackingEasternHemlockProject.Thisuniquedesignationallowedfortheobservationscollectedby AdventureScientistsvolunteerstobestoredandvisualizedseparatelyfromotherobservationsrecordedbygeneralTreeSnapusers.
Byutilizinganestablished,trustedplatformalreadyrecognizedwithinthecitizensciencecommunity,AdventureScientistswasableto significantlystreamlinethedatacollectionprocessandengageabroadervolunteernetwork.
OurpartnershipwithTreeSnapresultedina267%increaseinregisteredusersanda120%increaseinrecordedtreeobservationsoverthe courseoftheproject.
FromJanuarythroughMarch2025,AdventureScientists’volunteerssubmitted1,521easternhemlockobservationsacrossallseven nationalforestsinourstudyarea.Notablehighlightsfromthisseasoninclude:
195observationswere recordedalongthe AppalachianTrail
Thelongestvolunteer observationstreaklasted28 consecutivedays
PisgahNationalForesthadforthe highestnumberofobservations.
DuringtheTrackingEasternHemlockproject,AdventureScientistssuccessfullybuiltageographicallydistributeddatasetofeastern hemlocklocationsacrossNationalForestsinKentucky,NewYork,NorthCarolina,Tennessee,Virginia,andWestVirginia.Volunteers identifiedcandidatelingeringhemlocks treesthathavesurvivedinfestationsoftheinvasivehemlockwoollyadelgid.Thesesurviving treesmaypossessgeneticresistancetothepestandwillhelpinformconservationstrategies,predictfuturechangesinhemlock populations,andguidemanagementdecisionstoprotecttheseecologicallycriticaltrees.
ThiscollaborationnotonlyexpandedTreeSnap’sdatasetbutalsoprovidedcriticaldatatoadvanceconservationgeneticsresearchand strengthenfuturetreebreedingprograms.
FollowingprojectcompletioninMarch2025,AdventureScientistssurveyedTrackingEasternHemlockproject volunteersthroughanonlineform.
Highlightsinclude:
ofvolunteersaretakinggreater recurringactionintheirlives
ofvolunteersaretakinggreater actionintheirdailylives
ofvolunteerscaredabouttheproject’s conservationthemes.
“Ithelpedmedeepenmyknowledgeofandconnectionwiththe forestsinWNCandtheongoingconservationeffortsinthecommunity. Ilearnednewdatacollectionskillsthatwereagatewaytomore volunteeropportunitiesandwasabletonetworkwithlike-minded naturelovers.”-KimberlyC.
ofvolunteerswerenewtoAdventure Scientistsvolunteeringexpandingour volunteerbaseimmensely.
“It gave me hope. There are so many stories about threatened species butIdon'tfeellikewhatI'mdoingmakesthatmuchofadifference.This project made me feel that something could actually change for the better. I had no idea Adventure Scientists existed and just stumbled upon this project. I'm excited about all the work AS is involved in, all thingsI'minterestedin.Plus,I'madventurous!”
–TrackingEasternHemlockVolunteer learnedanewskillthroughproject participation.
The Pisgah Conservancy Field Day
OnJanuary22,2025,over30volunteersjoinedAdventureScientists’AlisonOrmsby,ThePisgah Conservancy,andtheHemlockRestorationInitiativeinPisgahNationalForest’sShiningRockWildernessfor acitizenscienceeventsupportingtheTrackingEasternHemlockproject.Volunteershikedtrailstoidentify resilienteasternhemlocktreesthathavesurvivedtheinvasivehemlockwoollyadelgid,usingtheTreeSnap apptorecordtreehealth,habitatdata,andpestpresence.Thedatacollectedwillinformfuturebreedingand restorationeffortsforthiskeystonespecies.Thiseventhighlightedthepowerofcommunitycollaborationin conservation,combiningscientificguidancewithpublicengagementtoprotectimperiledforestecosystems.
Photo Credit: The Pisgah Conservancy / Nina A.
Photo Credit: Adventure Scientists / Alison O.
Photo Credit: The Pisgah Conservancy / Nina A.
Brevard College Field Day
OnJanuary28th,AlisonOrmsby,AdventureScientists, ledaclassvisitandfielddayinPisgah NationalForestwithstudentsfromBrevardCollegeaspartoftheTrackingEasternHemlock project.ShewasjoinedbyDr.ErasmeUyizeye,AssistantProfessorofEnvironmentalStudiesat BrevardCollege,whosestudentsparticipatedinhands-onlearninganddatacollectioninthe field.Theoutingprovidedanopportunityforstudentstoengagedirectlywithconservation research,deepentheirunderstandingofforesthealth,andcontributetoeffortsmonitoringthe statusofeasternhemlock treesintheregion. 2 0 2 5 V
Photo Credit: Brevard College/ Erasme U.
OUR SCIENTIFIC PARTNERS OUR SCIENTIFIC PARTNERS
Research Scholar, Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology, NC State University
“ThroughtheTrackingEasternHemlockproject,volunteershavesubmittedawealthofinformation thatfarexceedswhatwecouldhavecollectedwithoutthisassistance.TheForestRestorationAlliance atNCStateUniversityiscurrentlyusingthedatasubmittedtoidentifylingeringhemlocksto propagateforHWAresistancescreeningandprioritizeareastosearchinthefutureasHWA-driven mortalitycontinues.Injustafewmonths,citizenscientiststhroughAdventureScientistssurveyed areasthatwouldhavetakenusyearstocover,andwearegratefultothevolunteersandstaffof AdventureScientistsfortheirparticipationinthiseffort.”
Rachel Kappler
Great Lakes Basin Forest Health Collaborative Coordinator, Holden Forests and Gardens
“TheTrackingEasternHemlockprojecthasmadeagreatdifferenceinourabilitytofind importanteasternhemlockindividuals.Thisdatawillallowforprioritizationofareasforfurther investigationandselection,forcontinuingresearchandbreedingprogrambeginnings.” “
Ben Smith
“MysincerestthankstoyouandtheentireAdventureScientiststeamfortheopportunitytocontributetosomegreat science,whileIplayintheoutdoorsandgethealthy/see&exploremyhomestateofKY. Itwasandisgreatfuntolookat theobservationsmap,knowingthatwestartedwithnopins,andoveracouplemonths,coveredtheEastCoastForests! Alwayswishwecouldhavedonemore,butveryhappywithwhateveryoneaccomplished.Congratstoall!”-EmilS
“I loved this project. On our last hike, we discovered so many hemlock trees it was amazing; I named this spot "Hemlock Haven." One of those trees did not have any infestation. We had to hike through a lot of forest to document some of these trees!”
- Kathy A.
“Ireallyenjoyedparticipating.Iloveparticipatingincitizensciencefielddatacollectionandintendto again.“-KimC.
Photo Credit: The Pisgah Conservancy / Nina A.
“IhadhikedonallofthetrailsIsurveyedforthisprojectbefore,butitwasaverysatisfyingexperiencetohikethemwitha specificpurposeinmind.Searchingforhemlocksaddedadifferentdimensiontothehikeandgavemeadifferentwayof lookingattheenvironment.” -WesleyS.
“Ienjoyeditsomuch,datacollectionwassomuchfunandIfeltapartofsomethingimportant!” -MelissaG.
Photo Credit: The Pisgah Conservancy / Nina A.
PROJECT PRESS PROJECT PRESS
Attention Tennessee hikers! Here's how you can help save the eastern hemlock tree
January 28, 2025
July 09, 2023
A Tennessee-based news organization highlights the importance of the hemlock trees to local ecosystems and provides readers with information on how to sign up for the Track Eastern Hemlock project.
Turning Outdoor Enthusiasts into Community Scientists
In the episode, Gregg Treinish of Adventure Scientists explains how outdoor enthusiasts can support conservation by gathering data such as tracking the health of eastern hemlock trees—while spending time in nature.
New Adventure Scientists: Project aims to uncover genetic resistance in eastern hemlock trees
January 21, 2025
The Cleveland Banner article details the Tracking Eastern Hemlock project. The initiative seeks to protect and restore this key tree species across affected regions.
Thankyoutothedonorsandsupporterswhosegenerositymadethisworkpossible.Your commitmenttoourmissionandyourinvestmentinscience-drivenconservationwere essentialtothesuccessoftheTrackingEasternHemlockproject.
WewouldalsoliketothankourpartnersatPeakSkis,AllTrails,MiiR,andMysteryRanchfor helpingusincreaseaccessibilitytotheoutdoorsandexpressappreciationtoourvolunteers withgreatincentivesthroughoutthefieldseason.
Specialthankstoourscientificpartners,HoldenForestsandGardens,aswellasproject collaboratorsTreeSnap,theForestRestorationAlliance,NorthCarolinaStateUniversity,the HemlockRestorationInitiative,BrevardCollege,thePisgahConservancy,andtheUSForest Service.
Photo Credit: The Pisgah Conservancy / Daniel J.
Wewanttoextendourappreciationtoourincrediblevolunteers.Wecouldn’t havegatheredthiscriticaldatawithouttheirtimeandeffort,andwearethankful fortheirpassion,enthusiasm,anddedicationtoourmission!
Ireallyloveeasternhemlocks.They’reatreethatIfeelaconnectiontoandseeinmany oftheplacesIlovetohike.I’vebeendistressedaboutthedeclininghemlocksinmany ofmyfavoriteplacesundertheonslaughtofthehemlockwoollyadelgidsandhavefelt sadandhopelessaboutit.ItfeltgreattogetoutinthefieldandfeellikeIcould contributesomethingtothepreservationofthistreeIlove.
-SophieA.
Ican'tnotnoticehemlocksanymore,I'malwayslookingatthemandappraisingthem.
I enjoyed feeling like I had a good reason to be out in the woods, and feel more urgencyaboutsavingtheHemlocksthatareleft
-TrackingEasternHemlockVolunteer.
PC: Volunteer / Gavin S.
