There are many ways to help us map the fruit trees of the San Juans
You can:
E-mail us a photo of your fruit, with the tree's location (info@kwiaht.org)
Fill our our apple variety data sheet and send us a photo.
Add your trees to our public map. Instructions for adding trees to the map are here.
Use the EpiCollect5 app to add data to our San Juan islands Fruit Trees Project (download here)
Use the Geopaparazzi app and our apple form note to map trees (download here)
Contact us to come and map your trees (info@kwiaht.org).
Call for Fruit Trees
Do you have old fruit trees growing where you live in the San Juan Islands? Kwiáht (Center for the Historical Ecology of the Salish Sea) is conducting a survey of heritage fruit trees remnant from the days when this region was the fruit basket of the Northwest. We'd like to learn about these surviving tree varieties, the ecosystem that sustains and relies upon them, and to hear your stories about them. We're also surveying and evaluating the numerous unnamed roadside and seedling trees to discover and propagate new apple varieties that are well adapted to our local conditions.
May we visit you and your trees this Autumn? We would like to help you identify the varieties of fruit you have growing and study how these valuable specimens have integrated into our ecosystem. We offer research and information to support your stewardship of these treasures from the past.
If you are interested in having our field team survey your orchard this fall please contact Madrona Murphy (madrona@kwiaht.org, 468-2808). We’re focusing our field visits on trees planted before 1930 at this time but would also appreciate any information about your more recent orchards.
You can also add apple trees to our map by filling out the attached form and sending it to us with photos of your apples.
Our research objectives are to:
* Use this inventory as a guide toward propagating fruit producing trees adapted to this climate for long term economic and nutritional sustainability
* Learn how these tough old survivors fit into the local ecosystem.
* Learn and then share the history of these orchards.
* Discover new locally adapted fruit tree varieties.
* Monitor the habitat values of orchards and learn how best to foster sustainable orchard habitats.
*Evaluate heritage fruit varieties for use in specialty ciders.
Thank you for any help.