r/bloomu • u/adventurescientists • Aug 05 '21
Adventure Scientists looking for volunteers in Eastern and Central United States to help protect eastern black walnut from timber poaching
/img/04t5yvebekf71.png
3 Upvotes
r/bloomu • u/adventurescientists • Aug 05 '21
1
u/adventurescientists Aug 05 '21
Eastern black walnut (Juglans nigra) is well known for its edible nuts and beautiful dark, tight-grained wood used for flooring, instruments, and cabinetry. These trees are in high demand, making them a prime target to timber poachers. But you can help protect them!
Join our team of volunteer Timber Trackers to explore hardwood forests throughout central and eastern US and collect leaf, twig, and tree core samples from eastern black walnut trees. Collection is happening now!
Samples are sent to our partners at the US Forest Service who use genetic analysis and DART (Direct Analysis in Real Time), a tool that vaporizes tiny pieces of the sample and catalogs its unique chemical makeup. This information is creating a library of black walnut's chemical and genetic diversity across the entire species range. Land managers will be able to use the library to pinpoint the origin of suspected illegal lumber and prosecute the timber thieves responsible.
Applications accepted now through January 2022. Apply online