Person measuring the trunk of a small tree with a tape measure outdoors, with buildings, cars, and a fenced grassy area in the background.

Treequest

Green logo with three stylized trees above the words 'TREES IDAHO' in bold capital letters.

A student-led tree inventory project

Logo of Boise Schools with the text 'BOISE' at the top, a stylized open book in the center, 'EST. 1881' on either side of the book, and 'SCHOOLS' at the bottom, all set against a bright green background.

Boise Schools TreeQuest

Launched in 2024, Boise Schools TreeQuest was developed in partnership with Trees Idaho, 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

A group of children gathered around a large tree, with a woman explaining something to them. The background shows a residential neighborhood with houses and trees.
Group of children measuring a large tree with a yellow measuring tape outdoors near a fence with trees in the background.

  • 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@treesidaho.org