Timber Tracking with Adventure Scientists
With a name like Acacia, I don’t think it should be a surprise to anyone that I have a deep love for trees. I don’t know if it is because my name is Acacia and it is a type of tree or if it is because I grew up in Nebraska, the Home of Arbor Day! There were plenty of elementary school field trips to Arbor Day Farms and dozen of free tree saplings I acquired growing up. All these things combined probably led to my love and passion for trees.
So, this summer I applied to become a volunteer with Adventure Scientists as part of the Timber Tracking project of the Eastern White Oak. I have always been interested in field research and had been looking specifically for a citizen science type of volunteer opportunity, which is how I found out about Adventure Scientists. Since I am often out photographing and recording videos for my YouTube channel within the range of the Eastern White Oak, it just made sense that this was the perfect opportunity for me.
So far, I have collected 9 samples in three states: 2 in North Carolina, 6 in Tennessee, and an unexpected one in Texas over the 4th of July weekend when I was there for my cousin's wedding…at the wedding venue nonetheless. I definitely got some weird looks from some of the other wedding guests, but my happy tree hugger heart was so excited to snag a sample! I appreciate the assistance of my husband (we used his belt to measure the diameter of the tree) and my step dad who is over 6ft tall and was able to snag the sample from a low branch.
Me standing next to the large Eastern White Oak near Longview, Texas. As a reference, I am just under 5 ft tall.
One sample I collected in Tennessee in the Cherokee National Forest was massive! It was so large, that I had to use the rope that was part of the saw tool to measure the diameter. The diameter was approximately 320 cm or over 10 feet! I doubt I will find a larger sample, but I will of course keep my eyes open! I wonder if it is the largest sample someone has collected? You can watch my YouTube video on my Timber Tracking Adventure.
The Giant Eastern White Oak
Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee
Nikon Z6
Nikon Z 24-70 mm f/4 lens
Settings:
26 mm at f/6.3
1/320 sec, ISO 800
I am excited that Adventure Scientists has recently acquired a permit for one of my favorite local places, Hanging Rock State Park. I just signed up to collect 2 samples, so I will be eager to visit with a different frame of mind this time! Maybe there is one next to one of the waterfalls? Ooooh! Wouldn’t that be perfect?!
If you are interested in volunteering or learning more about Adventure Scientists, you should check out their website: www.adventurescientists.org. They provide you with the training and tools you need to collect samples and let's be honest, it feels pretty good to know you are contributing to science and helping to protect this long-lived tree that is so crucial to the eastern and central U.S.! Reportedly they can live up to 600 years! If you love good tree folklore, you should check out my YouTube video about the Ancient Poplar tree near Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
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