Friends of Pando

Programs

Educating the Public

Friends of Pando Workshops

Workshops form the core of our efforts to educate the public about the Pando. Since December 2019, we have delivered virtual workshops throughout the world to educate the public and create opportunities to act. If you would like to invite us for a talk, or allow us to help you host your own, click below to learn more

Friends of Pando Website

As the world’s largest tree, Pando is the subject of countless international headlines every year and frequently cited in popular science books about trees. Although this activity promotes awareness about the tree, they often feature false or speculative claims about Pando that have no basis in science. The Friends of Pando website aims to provide an open information hub where the public and those who study and care for the tree can find up-to-date, science-backed information about the tree, share their experiences and learn about opportunities to take action.

Here Pando Speak @iamthepandotree

In March of 2021, Pando become the largest tree on the internet with its own Twitter account. Working to serve in the void between traditional government communications and the slower pace of scientific publishing, @iamthepando tree will provide a regular feed of facts, images, insights and inspiration to those seeking a more social relationship with the tree. Follow Pando on Twitter.

Supporting Research

Pando Ambassador Program (May-Oct)

The Pando Ambassador Program is first-of-its-kind active field monitoring program to monitor and protect this natural wonder. In 2022, Friends of Pando will hire, train and support a dedicated agent to undertake passive monitoring of the tree, work to repair and sustain protective fencing, capture data on utilization, observing wildlife activity and documenting the year in the trees life. Work we believe is critical to development of sound policies to ensure the tree can be enjoyed for generations to come.

In the Footprint of the Giant

The US Forest Service estimates that the Fishlake Basin, where Pando lives, receives 300,000 visitors each year. Despite knowing that, we do not know how many people walk Pando’s marked or unmarked trails each year. Working with local students and community volunteers, in 2022, Friends of Pando will work to establish passive trail monitoring stations to record data on human usage. A record we will make available to the public to help inform policy decisions to ensure the tree can be enjoyed for generations to come.

Pando Science Committee

Despite being the world’s largest tree, we know very little about Pando. In 2022, Friends of Pando will bring together scientists from the worlds of Chemistry, Botany, Geology, Ecology, GIS and Recreational Sciences to review current literature about Pando and the land it calls home to produce the “Pando Priorities” paper. A collaborative scientific document detailing critical research needed today. An effort we believe will provide insights on the challenges ahead, promote research interest and inspire collaboration.

Pando Photographic Survey

Today, we do not have a complete photographic inventory of Pando, a vital document needed to understand Pando’s overall health and serve as reference document to monitor changes in the tree for generations to come. In 2021, Friends of Pando began work to document the tree using high resolution 360 degree cameras, a document we will make freely available for study while providng ways to make the tree accessible to people who may not get to experience the tree otherwise.

Inspiring Stewardship

Kids for Pando

As we envision a future where Pando can be enjoyed for generations to come, in Fall of 2021 Friends of Pando launched Kids for Pando, a program of educational workshops geared toward K-12 students that invites teachers, community leaders, students and their families to learn about the tree and take part in stewardship effort that not only raise awareness about Pando, but also inspire the next generation of scientists and land managers.

Pando Artist in Residency Program

As Pando is a recent discovery that was not verified until 2008, we lack a record of the human experience of the tree. In 2022, Friends of Pando is undertaking a pilot program to establish an artist-in-residency program, inviting storytellers, visual artists, documentary artists, multimedia artists and those working on emergent research and story telling methods to record the tree in all the seasons of its life, while living and working in the land Pando calls home.

Pando : The World's Tree
A Virtual Land Art Experience

Pando’s enormous scale and remote location make it a challenging subject to document, comprehend and fully appreciate – even for those who study and work to protect the tree. In order to promote awareness about the tree and to help understand and physically experience the tree’s massive scale, Lead Photographer of the Pando Photographic Survey, Lance Oditt and Senior Photographers J Brunner and Janis Connell and Science Advisor Ryan Thalman, are working to take Pando to the world creating a unique virtual land art exhibit where people can hike Pando’s expanse while they learn about the tree.