Guided Tree Tours

What are these Guided Tree Tours!?

Welcome to the Guided Tree Tours page! These walking tours depart from a variety of places around campus. These public guided tours are free and offered about twice a month. Please arrive on time to ensure we do not depart without you (the tour usually departs the meeting location within 10 minutes). Tours generally last about 2 hours, but participants are welcome to leave early if needed. All tours take place outdoors so please plan accordingly and dress for the weather!

Our upcoming tour dates are shared below. Tour information is also regularly posted on social media at @campus_tree_tours on Instagram and Facebook.

Upcoming Guided Tree Tours:

Thursday, September 24th (3pm-5pm): The Brockman Memorial Tree Tour. Meet at the front entrance of the Husky Union Building on the University of Washington Seattle Campus.
- This tour is offered during the annual DAWG DAZE welcome week and is specially designed to show off some of the most iconic trees of campus to incoming students (although current students, staff, faculty, and community members are also more than welcome to attend). The tour will take place outdoors on the campus grounds, and will follow some of the route of the historic Brockman Memorial Tree Tour. At each stop, the guide will share ecological information, identification tips, and stories of how each tree specimen is connected to the campus, the world, and us as human beings!
Friday, September 25th (10am-12pm): The Washington Native Trees Tour. Meet at the front entrance of the Burke Museum of Natural History on the University of Washington Seattle Campus.
- This tour is offered during the annual DAWG DAZE welcome week and is specially designed to show off some of the most iconic trees of campus to incoming students (although current students, staff, faculty, and community members are also more than welcome to attend)! The tour will take place outdoors on the campus grounds, and will follow some of the route of the campus' Native Trees of Washington tree tour. At each stop, the guide will share how each of these native species is important to the ecosystems of Washington, identification tips, and stories of how each tree specimen is connected to us as human beings!
Friday, October 9th (1pm-3pm): Fall colors Tree Tour. Meet at Drumheller Fountain on the University of Washington Seattle Campus.
- This tour is the annual chance to see the most colorful trees of campus, and hear the reasons for the bright showy fall display! The tour will take place outdoors on the campus grounds, and we will be walking about a half mile with stops at different trees along the way. At each stop, we will take a moment to appreciate the color, and the natural history of each Autumn gem.
Sunday, November 22nd (12pm-2pm): Evergreen Ecology Tree Tour. Meet at the Bus Shelter just west of Anderson Hall on Stevens Way.
- By November, it is always abundantly clear why Washington is called the "Evergreen State". Even as the leaves have dropped off the many deciduous trees of campus, there are still many marvelous specimens with a full compliment of foliage! Come learn about why some trees keep their leaves year-round, and what challenges and advantages this growth strategy presents! The tour will take place outdoors on the campus grounds, and will follow some of the route of the campus' Brockman Memorial tree tour.

How to Get There?!

Parking on the UW campus can be difficult at times, so please plan ahead if driving to the tour. Parking rates vary by parking lot and date. There are also many public transit routes available for those wishing to reach campus by bus or rail. In the interest of accessibility, the tour routes are designed to be as wheelchair friendly as is possible on the UW Campus. To request any special accommodations, please email tdhoss@uw.edu.

Your Tree Tour Guide

UW Campus Tree Tours are conducted by Theodore Hoss, an alum of the Biology and Environmental and Forest Sciences programs at the University of Washington. He currently teaches as an instructor at the Raven's Roots Naturalist School. While a student, he helped redesign the campus' historic Brockman Memorial Tree Tour. He has maintained and updated the website and curated the campus tree tours ever since. Theodore has worked for years as an Environmental Educator, Gardener, and National Park Ranger, providing interpretation on forests, wildlife, and human connections to the landscape. He recently complete a Masters of Natural Resources program at Oregon State University studying forests and climate change, with a focus on urban forestry. He is a member of the Arboretum Bulletin Editorial Board, and enjoys backpacking, kayaking, hiking, and just about anything else outside in his free time. If you have any questions regarding the tours, or would like to request some form of accommodation, feel free to reach out at tdhoss@uw.edu. Theodore conducts these tours on a voluntarily basis, with no direct affiliation with the University of Washington.

What is a Standard Format for these Tours?

These Guided Tours are designed to provide participants with an informative and engaging learning experience focused on the trees of campus. During each tour, you can expect to learn a bit about tree ecology, human connections to the forest, tree management practices, and tricks to identify different groups of trees. All tours are offered in an interpretive format, with ample time for questions and no specific script. This means every tour is unique, with a different theme and focus, and a fresh perspective each time a tree is visited!

Each tour begins with an introduction of the tour theme and short conversation on the history of the UW Campus Tree Tours, as well as a time for participants to share any particular interests. The group will then depart from the meet-up location and follow a different route across campus that changes from tour to tour depending on the overarching theme. Each tour is designed to supplement and expand upon the self-guided tours on this website, and offer opportunities for asking tree questions, diving into broad science concepts, and connecting with other tour participants. The tours usually last about 2 hours and cover a distance of up to about 1 mile. There is usually time to engage with other participants as we walk between the different specimens on campus. If you have more questions about the tour format or need to request accommodations, please email Theodore Hoss at tdhoss@uw.edu

If you have already taken the tour and wish to leave feedback, please visit the survey located at the bottom of this page!

Feedback Survey!

Did you already take a guided tour?! Maybe you loved it! Maybe you hated it...we sure hope not, but it would be good to know either way. If you have a moment to fill out the feedback survey, please let us know what you think so we can continue to improve these tours! Your contributions are appreciated!

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