Ancient Forest Society has its busiest field season yet

by Allison Kidder

Ancient Forest Society has been so busy this field season that co-founder and Program Director, Wendy Baxter, described it as “one for the record books.” Indeed, the AFS crew and dozens of volunteers have spent hundreds of hours in giant sequoia trees since late spring, up and down the spine of the Sierra Nevada. What exactly have they been up to?

One of AFS’s main project this summer is continuing their research on bark beetles (Phloeonsinus sp.) in giant sequoias in collaboration with scientists from Colorado State University. With funding from CAL FIRE’s Forest Health Research Program, this year they added more measurements so they can more directly examine the effects of bark beetle attacks on giant sequoia physiology and defenses.

AFS and Colorado State University’s methods and measurements this season include:
a) ground and canopy surveys,
b) physiological measurements such as sap flow, stem water potential, and branch relative water content to assess tree water status,
c) samples of tree bark, phloem, wood, and leaves to measure terpene chemistry, stable carbon isotopes, and water relations,
d) observations of defensive traits when trees are attacked by bark beetles, e) fundamental bark beetle biology, and
f) observations of how the beetles move within the tree canopy.

These data are being obtained from healthy trees, trees that are showing signs of environmental stress with bark beetle damage, and trees that die.

Descriptions of methods and measurements AFS researchers are using in the field will be featured in future newsletters.

One of the principal goals of this research is to better understand giant sequoia tree’s response to bark beetle attack and, further, develop models to predict the probability bark beetle attack based on tree condition, location, and the tree’s environmental conditions.

AFS’s integrated approach will inform management strategies aimed at conserving these giant sequoia ecosystems in a changing climate.

Our contributing writer, Allison Kidder, has been a Board Member of Ancient Forest Society since 2023. She has a PhD in plant ecophysiology from University of California Berkeley, is a freelance science writer, and has been a docent and managing editor of publications at the East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden since 2017.

Merchandise shop is live!

We are delighted to announce that Ancient Forest Society’s online shop is open for business! CLICK HERE to get your AFS tees, tanks, hoodies, hats, and beanies. Each purchase supports our work.

Ancient Forest Society attends Treetopia!

The Ancient Forest Society attended Treetopia, a tree industry experience and festival presented by Treestuff and A-plus Tree, during August 16-17, 2024 on Mare Island in Vallejo in northern California’s Bay Area. We had a table at the event with a display that explained and shared our mission and conservation work.

There were family-friendly games and experiences while exhibitors shared their impressive displays of equipment, products, and services.

As tree climbers from various industry positions visited our booth, they were all supportive and grateful for our role studying and conserving the majestic giant sequoias.

We hope to continue to engage and share our work as we increase awareness of the need to protect our old trees and ancient forests. 

We want to give special thanks to Nick Bonner of Treestuff and the awesome team from A-Plus Tree who put on a well-organized and enjoyable event for everyone to share. We want to make a special shout-out to Cassie from A-Plus for her impressive work on the event and Megan Hickel, who volunteered to attend on behalf of the Ancient Forest Society. We could not have done it without you!

Fall fundraising and appreciation event!

WHEN: 1:00 p.m., Sunday, November 10, 2024
WHERE: The historic Valhalla Grand Hall, 1 Valhalla Rd, South Lake Tahoe, CA

Ancient Forest Society is pleased to host an event this fall to honor the dozens of our volunteers and collaborators, celebrate our accomplishments this field season, connect with the South Lake Tahoe community, and raise funds to continue our mission to study and protect ancient trees and their forest ecosystems.

Ancient Forest Society spends half of the year working throughout the Sierra Nevada mountain range, traveling from multiple giant sequoia groves to do research, cone and seed collections, bark beetle inspections, and various assessments to study the trees. Our team is supported by numerous partners and funders, and joined by contractors and volunteers from all over the world to camp, hike, climb and work long days to accomplish our goals. It’s not an easy task but it is integral to the value and impact of our mission and we could not do it alone. We engage with many people, from agency partners and seasoned climbers who work with us regularly to the volunteers who so graciously give their time to join us in the field.

Like the trees in a grove, let’s get together and celebrate the accomplishments of everyone who contribute to the Ancient Forest Society. We absolutely could not do this work without those who participate and we want to honor that connection by holding this event on November 10th at the Valhalla Grand Hall in South Lake Tahoe.

We invite those in support of our mission, sharing the same interest to study and protect old trees and ancient forests.

You will not want to miss this event!
Tickets are available at our online shop for $45.00 each (volunteers get in free).

We are in search of people who are interested in volunteering with Ancient Forest Society to help with this upcoming event. If you are interested, and live nearby, or can travel to South Lake Tahoe in early November, or, if you are interested in helping us out remotely, please reach out via email to Kimberly Wright at kimberly@ancientforestsociety.org.

We are also in search of sponsors to assist with in-kind donations of food, drink, etc. and contributions to the raffle and auction. Your company, brand, and/or donation will be presented to a targeted audience of people concerned with forest research and conservation. Please email Kimberly Wright at kimberly@ancientforestsociety.org for more information about these opportunities.

Support the Ancient Forest Society

Ancient Forest Society is in the midst of a busy field season inspecting trees for bark beetle activity, collecting cones, taking measurements, and installing and maintaining physiological equipment in tree canopies. We are a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and your tax-deductible donations, no matter how small, will directly support this important work by covering the cost of equipment, travel expenses and meals, and volunteer support. Thank you!

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