The UF/IFAS School of Forest, Fisheries and Geomatics Sciences is thrilled to introduce a new self-guided tour of the many magnificent tree species located on the University of Florida’s main campus in Gainesville.

The tour includes 34 tree species, most of them native to Florida. Each tree bears a sign displaying its scientific name, common name, and a QR code that links to more information about the species. To demonstrate trees’ potential to remove carbon from the atmosphere – one of the many ecosystem services trees provide – we list how many car miles’ worth of carbon dioxide each tree on the tour will offset over its lifetime. (We calculated this figure by plugging each tree’s measurements and species information into the iTree application. For example, our water oak will offset up to 13,736 car miles worth of carbon dioxide!)

The tour is meant to be interactive, allowing guests to access information about the trees through their mobile devices, but also – we hope – encouraging visitors to physically engage with the trees by examining their bark, leaves, seeds and fruit. As they do so, they may start to spot birds and squirrels in the branches and listen to the sound of the wind rustling the leaves. Such moments are not only educational but also calming and restorative.

The idea for the University of Florida Tree Tour was conceived by former undergraduate student Thaleia Roda. Thaleia, who graduated in May 2025 with a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, worked with their Dendrology professor Dr. Michael Andreu to bring the project to fruition over the course of two years. Thaleia’s hope is that the tour will help make visitors more aware of the benefits urban trees provide.

To view an interactive map of all the trees on the tour, please see the University of Florida Tree Tour website.

For more information about the Tree Tour, including about how you might create one in your own neighborhood or community, please contact Dr. Michael Andreu at mandreu@ufl.edu.

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