CSS Trees works with global and in-country partners to safeguard the world’s more than 400 oak species. Oaks (genus Quercus, family Fagaceae) are our flagship tree group because of their global economic, ecological, and cultural importance. In collaboration with the Global Tree Assessment team and the IUCN SSC Global Tree Specialist Group, the Morton Arboretum ASSESSED the world’s oak species in 2020. Equipped with this information, staff at CSS Trees are working closely with the IUCN SSC Conservation Planning Specialist Group and the Global Conservation Consortium for Oak to lead and facilitate conservation planning workshops with stakeholders to PLAN conservation and recovery actions for oaks. We have on-the-ground ACTION projects with partners in the United States, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Malaysia, and Indonesia. These projects seek to benefit oak ecosystems while supporting local communities.

There is an urgent need to expand capacity in tree identification, propagation, restoration, and conservation, particularly in biodiversity hotspots where species loss is greatest. The Species Steward Training Program at CSS Trees focuses on working with local partners to build their capacity in these regions, empowering and supporting them to become advocates for protecting their natural resources, particularly trees. Virtual modules are being created that include information on best practices for collecting herbarium specimens, starting a nursery, and propagating rare and threatened tree species. The virtual courses are complemented with in-person workshops and technical support visits. Efforts to date are focused in Mexico and Central America.

The goal of this project is to use the One Plan Approach to ensure survival and sustainable management of threatened or at-risk species of U.S. trees, particularly exceptional species that cannot be stored in seed banks. CSS Trees supports survey, collection, propagation, and cultivation of U.S. trees of conservation concern underrepresented in ex situ collections, and promotes genetically-diverse ex situ collections of high conservation value in botanic gardens. The team also adapts and develops tools that help scientists, land-managers and botanic gardens better conserve priority species. Partners in these efforts include the USDA Forest Service, United States Botanic Garden, Botanic Gardens Conservation International-U.S., NatureServe, ArbNet, and many more.