🌳 Get to Know a Tree. Help Protect a Forest!

SciStarter Newsletter − 2026

Trees do so much for us: they cool streets, clean the air, and soak up rainwater. With free tools like iSeaTree and i-Tree's MyTree, you can identify trees near you and discover their environmental benefits—even in dollars!

Want to give trees a hand? Whether you're snapping photos, measuring tree heights for NASA, or exploring forest images from home, your contributions can help scientists understand and protect forests around the world.

Ready to branch out? Explore six projects below!

Cheers!

The SciStarter Team

deadtrees.earth

Help scientists spot trees in trouble!

Share forest photos or drone imagery, or help review computer-generated maps to find dead trees.

Your contributions help researchers track forest health and understand where trees are dying around the world.

Location: Global

Get to the Root of Change

GLOBE Observer: Trees

How tall is that tree? NASA wants to know!

Pick a tree and use the free GLOBE Observer app to measure its height.

Your measurements help NASA scientists study forests and how much carbon they store.

Plus, connect your GLOBE Observer account to SciStarter to track your contributions in your SciStarter Dashboard!

Location: Global

Tree, Two, One...Help NASA!

FloraDiva

Become a botanical detective from home.

Help Italy's MUSE Science Museum digitize historical plant collections by transcribing handwritten specimen labels.

Each label helps researchers explore the history of plants and biodiversity. No botany experience needed!

Location: Online

Leaf Through History

iSeaTree

Your neighborhood trees are working hard.

Use the iSeaTree app to identify and map urban trees, and discover how they capture carbon, filter air pollution, and manage water.

Help communities understand the benefits of urban forests!

Location: United States & Canada

iSpy a Tree

Photo by Carol Lea Spence

TreeSnap

Some trees are naturally resilient to pests and diseases. Help scientists find them!

Use TreeSnap to photograph and map potentially resistant trees, supporting research into forest genetics and restoration.

Location: United States

Snap a Tree; Save a Forest

Treezilla

Help build a monster-sized map of the United Kingdom's trees! Identify, measure, and map trees in your neighborhood or local park.

Each contribution helps scientists understand where trees grow, their environmental benefits, and how forests are changing.

Location: United Kingdom

Ready, Set, Grow

Get Your Free, LinkedIn-ready Badge!

SciStarter's Foundations of Citizen Science training is free, self-paced, and entirely online.

In about an hour, you'll learn how to contribute to real research, find projects that match your interests, and build skills in data collection and scientific inquiry.

Earn Your Free Digital Badge

SciStarter Classic: TreeSnap

In 2023, Ellen Crocker, co-creator of TreeSnap, joined SciStarter for an interview about why she created a project focused on endangered trees.

Watch this Webinar

Do NASA Science LIVE Event: Help Machines See Space Better

Get ready for an out-of-this-world season of science! Do NASA Science LIVE is back with free, interactive events where you can meet NASA scientists, explore real research, and contribute to exciting discoveries.

Join us virtually November 19 for Help Machines See Space Better, featuring NASA's Artifact InSPECtor project and astrophysicist Dr. Aimee Schechter.

Explore telescope images and help train machines to distinguish real cosmic objects from tricky artifacts. No science experience needed—just your curiosity. Register to attend as an individual or host.

Hosts, don’t forget about our free Event Toolkit.

Save Your Spot

Available for Pre-Order: The Educator's Guide to Citizen Science

From Harvard Education Press, the Educator's Guide to Citizen Science is now available for pre-order!

This practical guide, co-authored by members of the SciStarter team, examines how citizen and community science can transform K–12 education by positioning students and educators as active contributors to knowledge.

The book is officially out in February, but you can pre-order today and save 20% with code HCPR26 at checkout.

Get Your Copy

SciStarter offers something for everyone.

Click here to explore and print the calendar.

New projects & events featured on SciStarter

Project (Brisbane, Australia): Platypus Suitability Survey
Event (Online): Ambassador Webinar! "Project Spotlight: E-I-E-I-O No With Caren Cooper"
Project (Global): Envirome
Event (Detroit, Michigan): Do NASA Science LIVE at Elmwood Park Branch Library
Project (Rotterdam, the Netherlands): CameraSpotter

…and thousands more featured on the project finder and the event finder! Find an online or local project or event near you.

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