Oregon ash (Fraxinus latifolia) is an ecologically important West Coast tree that may disappear from much of its range — from British Columbia to California — as emerald ash borer, an invasive insect, spreads in North America.
Protecting Oregon ash supports healthier forests and riparian systems that Oregonians rely on for wildlife habitat, water quality and community resilience.
To keep Oregon ash as a long-term component of forests and riparian areas in the West, researchers need to identify and conserve any genetic resistance to emerald ash borer. But resistance is rare, and locating it requires broad, coordinated seed collection across the species’ range.
In response, the Oregon State University Extension Forestry and Natural Resources Program and partners supported a volunteer-driven seed collection effort to gather Oregon ash seeds across the West for genetics research.
Volunteers collected Oregon ash seeds and shipped them to the USDA Forest Service Dorena Genetic Resource Center in Cottage Grove. Researchers are storing the seeds for future genetics work and to evaluate resistance to emerald ash borer.
The effort built on an earlier, large-scale seed collection led by the Oregon Department of Forestry before emerald ash borer’s arrival in the Pacific Northwest, which gathered nearly 1 million seeds from populations across Western Oregon.
This expanded effort aimed to collect additional seeds from a broader region spanning California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia to increase genetic representation across the species’ range.
To scale up collection with consistent methods, partners hosted a virtual training that reached more than 930 participants. Researchers covered seed collection protocols — how to collect, clean, label and ship seeds — and provided time for Q&A.
Participants received tools they could use immediately, including a seed collection protocol, a seed collection form, a guide to seed ripening and damage, and a guide for identifying Oregon ash.
The project also broadened participation through workforce-connected youth engagement. Twelve Latino youths in Centro Cultural’s Climate Justice Leadership work-learn program in Cornelius were trained to collect Oregon ash seeds from local parks as part of the effort.
The virtual training drew more than 930 participants (including 890 preregistered) representing 20 organizations and a tribe, significantly expanding the pool of potential collectors and helping standardize methods to improve the scientific value of collections.
Volunteer collections resulted in 149 seed lots or individual trees; 116 were from Oregon, six came from California, and 27 from Washington. Fifteen organizations and 10 private individuals participated in collecting 13 pounds of seed, which is equivalent to roughly 147,500 seeds.
Protecting Oregon ash supports healthier forests and riparian systems that Oregonians rely on for wildlife habitat, water quality and community resilience. By mobilizing trained volunteers and youths to collect seeds across the West, this effort increases the odds of finding rare genetic resistance and preserves a broader base of Oregon ash diversity for future research and restoration.
The result is a practical, cost-effective approach that helps land managers and agencies prepare for emerald ash borer’s impacts before losses become irreversible.
