“Trees are the lungs of the earth and home to millions of organisms, fungi and animals,” says Sally Aitken at the University of BC’s forestry department and lead of the AdapTree project. “Without a doubt one of the most successful species on earth.” Aitken also warns, “they are a species under threat due to rapid environmental changes.” The biggest challenge for trees is the rate of change. “For time immemorial, trees have adapted to a changing environment and they continue to do so,” says Aitken. The objective of the AdapTree project is to address that pace of change by identifying alleles in Douglas fir, spruce, western larch, jack pine and lodgepole pine trees that have adapted to a variety of environments. Using genetic tools, the team at AdapTree, works with a variety of stakeholders within forestry to identify strains of species that will survive in regions where environmental conditions are changing.