TreeQuest: A Student-Led Tree Inventory Project 

A student at Fairmont Junior High measures the DBH of a tree on campus. Credit: Julia Sanderson

Supported by:

Launched in 2024, Boise Schools TreeQuest was developed in partnership with the Treasure Valley Canopy Network, City of Boise, and the Boise School District to reach a few goals:

  1. Develop an inventory of all tree locations and condition on school district properties

  2. Develop a plan for new tree plantings, tree removals, tree maintenance, and tree replacements

  3. Engage students and each school’s Green Team in urban forestry education and climate action on their campus

Every tree a student identifies and collects data on is uploaded to Idaho’s TreePlotter public webpage.

Image: Map view of trees at East Junior High School in Boise.

View the interactive map
Students at Boise High School measure the DBH of a tree on their campus.

Students at Boise High School measure the DBH of a tree on their campus.

View of Idaho TreePlotter using the Ecosystem Benefits feature.

  • Students work together using cell phones and tablets to connect to PlanIt Geo’s Tree Plotter software to capture the following data for each tree on their school’s campus:

    • DBH

    • Clearance conflicts

    • % dieback

    • Crown light exposure

    • General Observations

    • Condition

    • Photos

  • Not only will this data be used by the Boise School District to plan for tree maintenance and plantings, but all of the data collected by students is available to the public.

    You can visit the public Idaho TreePlotter page to zoom in on individual trees and learn about each tree. By utilizing the ‘Stats’ button on the left menu, you can also view the ecosystem benefits of the trees.

  • Currently, the TreeQuest program is only active in the Boise School District. Are you a staff member at a BSD school? Email Ali Ward, BSD Sustainability Supervisor at alison.ward@boiseschools.org

    Outside of the Boise School District and interested in starting a similar program at your school or district? Let’s chat! Email Emma at emma@tvcanopy.net

Student Reflection Survey

Following the launch of TreeQuest, Boise State University student, Emily Davis conducted a survey of 60 students that participated in their school’s TreeQuest.

Did TreeQuest help you learn about the importance of the environment?

How interested are you in learning more about environmental science? (1 being least interested, 5 being most interested)

A special thank you to our partners and the Idaho Department of Lands for providing PlanIt Geo’s TreePlotter software and technical assistance.