Tree Spotters

We are the continuation of the tree spotting group originally organized by Lizzie Wolkovich at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University. We are an unfunded group of about a dozen volunteers trained in the original program.

The Arnold Arboretum originally hosted two phenology programs, including the Native and Indicator Observation Program and the Tree Spotters program, organized by Dr. Lizzie Wolkovich and other researchers at Harvard University. These programs ran from 2016 until 2019, when Dr. Wolkovich departed Harvard University.

Since then, a dozen of the volunteers trained in the original program have continued the Tree Spotters Program, observing phenology of trees, reading and discussing relevant books and articles, Zooming with researchers in the field, sharing information about related activities, and setting up a webpage on Dr. Wolkovich’s temporal ecology lab website. In their words, "We have worked to keep the initial trees and shrubs tagged in the Arboretum, and have offered to guide anyone interested in this project. We not only recognize the value to collecting this data for research purposes, but have embraced our trees and shrubs as family members that we care about. Tree spotting has opened our eyes to the marvels of nature, awakening our concern and curiosity for all."

The Tree Spotters were awarded the USA-NPN's 2021 PhenoChampion, as an exemplary program that shows a dedicated group of volunteers can overcome challenges, maintain a critical long-term dataset, and create excitement in learning about phenology.