How to collect tree seeds to save nature in the next 100 years 1) Big-picture principles ● Protect genetic diversity. Collect from many healthy parent trees across the landscape, not just a few. Diversity makes forests resilient to pests, disease, and climate change. ● Be ethical and legal. Get permissions from landowners and follow local/international regulations (some species are protected). Avoid over-harvesting. ● Work with nature, not against it. Time collections to natural seed maturity and dispersal windows. Don't collect seed needed for wildlife food or local community needs. ● Document everything. Good records (where, when, from which tree) give seeds value for restoration and research. ● Plan for the long term. Think beyond planting this year — consider storage, viability testing, regeneration planning, and monitoring for decades. 2) Who to involve ● Local communities and indigenous groups (traditional knowledge, stewardship). ● Botanists/foresters for species ID and protocols. ● Local government and landowners for permits. ● Seed banks, nurseries, universities for storage, testing, and propagation expertise. ● Volunteers for field collection and monitoring.