Welcome!
OneTree Alaska is a STEAM (STEM + Arts) program affiliated with the Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station of the University of 缅北禁地.
OneTree Alaska鈥檚 mission is to engage learners of all ages in boreal forest education, citizen science and forest product development. It is centrally concerned with phenology, seasonality and climate change. Phenology is the study of cyclic and seasonal natural phenomena, especially in relation to climate and plant and animal life.
OneTree Alaska STEAM integrated research and citizen science projects are made possible through collaboration with K-12 teachers, the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District, university students, staff and faculty, and many community partners.
The local boreal forest is our foundation and inspires our work. Please see our recent projects, and share your expertise.
Green-up is here!
The National Weather Service called green-up on May 10, 2025, at 11:27 a.m. Alaska Standard TIme on West Chena Ridge. Many tappers were still tapping and getting clear or slightly cloudy sap, and trees in some locations aren't at green-up yet, making this a unique season. Rick Thoman's show the progression of sap, green-up and pollen. We are now on watch for peak birch pollen. Pollen levels can be found on the Cooperative Extension webpage.
We're on Sap Watch!
As of Thursday, April 17, we have sap flowing from a few trees at OneTree's south-facing tubing site off Farmers Loop Road. Therefore, we are issuing a Sap Watch for people tapping on south- or west-facing slopes and in in-town locations with trees sheltered in localized heat islands near buildings, sidewalks, heated underground pipes, and septic fields.
While most south-facing locations aren't running yet, as reported by tappers on various south-facing locations around town, we wanted to let you know about these first ones so you can tap up if you feel so inclined.
OneTree Alaska works with UAF researchers and community members to track phenology around Fairbanks, including the first day of sap flow. We also track two other important phenophases in birch trees each spring: green-up and maximum pollen flow.
Happy Start to the 2025 Sap Season!
