About the ARME

Origin Story

This initiative has been originally designed in partnership between the Washington State University Ornamental Plant Pathology Program and Seattle Parks and Recreation's Green Seattle Partnership. However, we have the desire to grow this thing across the Pacific madrone's entire range!

In April 2016, partners and stakeholders joined us for the Future of the Pacific Madrone Symposium at WSU Puyallup. Participants expressed concerns for the condition of Pacific madrone populations and brainstormed a ‘wish list’ for research and possible actions. In particular, participants noted the need for a survey and database dedicated to learning more about the health of madrone populations. Also, people discussed the desire for expanded education and creation of better practices for madrone cultivation and conservation.

These discussions evolved into the creation of the Arbutus ARME and the following project elements and outcomes:

  • regular Pacific madrone newsletter

  • inclusion of a Pacific madrone as the 1st Western tree in the TreeSnap smartphone application

  • educational workshops in the Puget Trough region of Washington State

  • support for research projects, like the range wide common garden trials quanitifying the variation in severity of madrone health problems, identifying resistant/resilient sources, and predicting extent of madrone health problems in forests containing this species now, and in future climates

  • seed collection, propagation and restoration efforts as part of Green Seattle Partnership's Madrone Recovery Project

  • development of best management practice guides through Washington State University Extension

Click here to view the April 2016 "Needs and Opportunities" brainstorm about all the research, extension, community science, publicity and funding ideas that could be elevated

The People behind the ARME

Marianne Elliott

Marianne is a Plant Pathologist with Washington State University Plant Pathology Program. She has a special history with madrone research and is co-founder of Arbutus ARME. Marianne plays a key role in identifying madrone diseases and encouraging madrone research and collaboration.

Michael Yadrick

Michael is a Plant Ecologist with Seattle Parks and Recreation. Supporting Green Seattle Partnership efforts, he designs and directs the restoration projects in Seattle’s forested natural areas. Michael is the creator and host of treehugger podcast, runs trails and jumps into water.

Joey Hulbert

Joey joined the WSU Ornamental Plant Pathology Program at the WSU Research and Extension Center in Puyallup as a Postdoctoral Fellow funded by the USDA. He recently returned to the Pacific Northwest after spending four years in South Africa leading Cape Citizen Science.

Arbutus ARME Partners

Washington State University
Ornamental Plant Pathology Program


Seattle Parks and Recreation's Green Seattle Partnership

The Green Seattle Partnership is a collaborative effort between the City of Seattle, Forterra, and an amazing community of partners working together to create a sustainable network of healthy forested parkland throughout Seattle, supported by an aware, engaged public.
Mixed madrone forests are an underrepresented forest type in Seattle. GSP has jumpstarted its own Madrone Recovery Project focused on conserving, planting and developing best management practices for restoring Pacific madrone.

TreeSnap

Help our nation’s trees! Scientists are working to understand what allows some individual trees to survive, but they need to find healthy, resilient trees in the forest to study. That’s where concerned foresters, landowners, and citizens (you!) can help. Tag trees you find in your community, on your property, or out in the wild using TreeSnap! Scientists will use the data you collect to locate trees for research projects like studying genetic diversity of tree species and building better tree breeding programs.

United States Forest Service

USFS Mission: To sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.