News Blog

A box turtle sighted in the SERC forest during census activity

SERC's Fourth Census Completed!

The fourth census of the ForestGEO plot at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) was completed on December 18th, 2024. Six technicians censused over 69,000 stems (living and dead) with 5,129 new trees added with an additional 8,605 new secondary stems. Read on to learn more!

January 23, 2025

Milton Solano and David Mitre stand in front of a stage, smiling at the camera.

David Mitre & Milton Solano Receive 2024 Smithsonian Award for Excellence in Digital Innovation

ForestGEO employs plot censuses to achieve its mission of advancing long-term study of the world’s forests. Two members of the ForestGEO staff, David Mitre and Milton Solano, recently made achieving this mission much more efficient. Read on to learn about David and Milton’s work which led to their Smithsonian Award for Excellence in Digital Innovation.

October 30, 2024

a group of people sitting in front of a panoramic view of Yaounde, Cameroon

2024 ForestGEO Analytical Workshops: Cameroon

The final mini-workshop of our 2024 Analytical Workshops concluded this week in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Read on to get an inside look at the workshop.

October 15, 2024

Workshop participants sit at a u-shaped table facing a presentation in a classroom with large windows

2024 ForestGEO Analytical Workshops: Overcoming Obstacles

This summer, the ForestGEO Annual Analytical Workshop went a little differently than usual. What is typically a single two-week workshop with ~60 participants became three mini-workshops in three separate locations. Read on to get an inside look inside this year’s Analytical Workshops.

September 4, 2024

A group of 4 women stand smiling at an unseen camera holding census equipment, with the winter forest behind them.

NZSCBI Media Team covers final stem measurement of SCBI’s 4th census

ForestGEO plot SCBI in Virginia, USA, recently completed its fourth census! The media team from the National Zoo joined us on-site to document the measurement of the final stem. We asked members of the field crew a few questions to learn more about the census process and the forest. Read on to hear what they had to share.

February 7, 2024

a collage of photos of each of the 6 awardees, all smiling and standing in nature

J&J Ruinen Fellowship in Tropical Forestry: Announcing the 2023 Awardees

Over the course of the past 20 years, ForestGEO’s research grants program has awarded more than $1.3 million to scientists dedicated to expanding the understanding of forests around the globe. This year, ForestGEO has selected six awardees whose projects employ ForestGEO plots or data to help build the knowledge base of tropical forests. Read on to meet the 2023 J&J Ruinen Fellows and learn all about their projects.

January 5, 2024

A woman smiles in front of a tropical plant.

Spotlight Series: ForestGEO welcomes new Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Krishna Anujan

ForestGEO welcomed a new Postdoctoral Research Fellow in September, Krishna Anujan. Her research will combine ForestGEO’s long-term forest dynamics datasets with individual-based modelling to understand climate sensitivities of tree growth across diverse tropical species. Read on to learn more about Krishna and her background.

November 27, 2023

Edge of the forest, which is on fire during a prescribed burn.

ForestGEO welcomes its 77th Forest Dynamics plot: Ichauway

ForestGEO recently welcomed its 77^th Forest Dynamics plot – Ichauway – in the southeastern United States. We asked Principal Investigator Dr. Jeffery Cannon about the plot and how he got involved with ForestGEO.

October 30, 2023

A group of people stand as they prepare to leave for a hike, lush green mountains in the background

Plot Spotlight: “Under the Blue Sky, Gathering at Donglingshan, Sharing the benefits of Biodiversity"

Plot PI Yan Zhu shares a recap of an educational event held this summer at the Donglingshan forest dynamics plot. Read on to learn more.

October 18, 2023

a woman stands in the forest, surrounded by 3 team members. She is measuring a tree.

ForestGEO’s second plot, the Pasoh Forest Reserve in Malaysia, gets its 8th census.

The 8^th census at the Pasoh Forest Dynamics Plot in Malaysia is underway! We asked plot technician Musalmah Nasardin a few questions about the census progress and the other ongoing fieldwork at the Pasoh Forest Reserve.

September 20, 2023

A large group of people standing and sitting on grass with forest in the background, all smiling at the camera.

ForestGEO hosts 2023 annual analytical workshop in Panama

After a three-year hiatus due to Covid-19, ForestGEO hosted an Annual Analytical Workshop this July in Gamboa, Panama. Participants from all over the globe came together to share their expertise and develop their research. Read on for a look inside 2023’s workshop.

August 23, 2023

ForestGEO Granted $12M from the Bezos Earth Fund for GEO-TREES Initiative

The Bezos Earth Fund has granted ForestGEO $12M for the GEO-TREES Initiative, an international consortium to create the first worldwide system to independently ensure the accuracy of satellite monitoring of forest biomass in all forest types and conditions.

July 6, 2023

Jess in an orange vest and hat, holding a measuring tool, smiling with her hands in the air in the forest

Spotlight Series: Jess Shue becomes a new PI at SERC

Jess Shue, a ForestGEO Technician, recently joined Sean McMahon and Jess Parker as a Principal Investigator at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) plot in Edgewater, Maryland. We sat down with her to discuss her experience at SERC and her new role.

July 5, 2023

Meet the 2022 Awardees of the J&J Ruinen Fellowship in Tropical Forestry and ForestGEO Research Grants Program

Each year, ForestGEO awards research funds to students and early career scientists who aim to provide a better understanding of forests through their work. We proudly introduce the 2022 grant recipients below!

June 26, 2023

Dr. Wright being present his award on stage, shaking hands with Lonnie Bunch and smiling with Ellen Stofan

ForestGEO’s Dr. S Joseph Wright Receives the 2022 Smithsonian Distinguished Scholar in the Sciences Award

STRI Senior Scientist Dr. Joseph Wright was awarded the 2022 Distinguished Scholar in the Sciences Award on June 6 in a ceremony in Washington, DC.

June 22, 2023

The entrance to the BCI exhibit, tropical forest background with yellow box announcing BCI 100 Years

'Barro Colorado Island: 100 Years of Discoveries and Wonder' at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC showcases an exhibit on STRI’s Barro Colorado Island, ForestGEO’s first plot, in honor of its 100th year.

June 7, 2023

Isabella Valli in Pisgah National Forest.

ForestGEO welcomes Bella Valli, Administrative Assistant

Bella joined ForestGEO as Administrative Assistant in May 2023.

May 24, 2023

Spotlight Series: Pulchérie Bissiengou & the challenges of taxonomy

Dr. Pulchérie Bissiengou is the Head Assistant of National Herbarium of Gabon. She is also a co-PI of ForestGEO’s Rabi, Gabon plot, where she got her start with the ForestGEO network in 2016.

January 4, 2023

Spotlight Series: Anna Wassel & the Pawpaw Patrol at Tyson Research Center, USA FDP

Anna Wassel (she/they) is a Ph.D. candidate at Washington University in St. Louis, and got her start with ForestGEO on the field team at the Tyson Research Center, USA FDP in 2019.

November 3, 2022

Fangliang He and colleagues in a tropical forest.

Spotlight Series: Fangliang He & the Many Magic Moments

Fangliang is a PI of 3 ForestGEO plots in China: Hainan, Heishiding, & Baishanzu.

September 6, 2022

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