Tracking Green-up in Alaska’s Boreal Forest

Green-up, when leaves burst forth from Alaska’s deciduous trees, has important implications for the seasonal ecology, society and even meteorology in the state. Sap starts flowing in birch trees, leading to tapping and turning the sap into delicious treats. It is rapidly followed by pollen release, which is a health issue for many Alaskans. Fairbanks has a unique multi-decadal record of green-up dates that’s been used to develop a technique for forecasting green-up and related events in the Interior and more broadly in the boreal forest regions in Alaska. This webinar will be the seventh annual review of the green-up forecasting tools and will provide a look-ahead at green-up for Spring 2026. One Tree will demonstrate citizen science-outreach tools for birch tappers and others.