Chesapeake Conservancy & Bucknell University Students Partner to Create Free Resource

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Lewisburg, PA –Chesapeake Conservancy and Bucknell University recently partnered to develop the Pennsylvania Native Tree Selector tool, providing residents and conservation planners with an easy resource to select native tree and shrub species.

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To stay aligned with its Chesapeake Bay restoration goals, Pennsylvania must plant 95,000 acres of riparian forest buffer by 2025. Volunteer groups, nonprofits, state agencies and other partners are accelerating their work to meet this goal.

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Chesapeake Conservancy joined forces with senior Bucknell University students, Claire Engel, Emily Rivera, Reva Sharma, Colin Soule, Aya Tarist and John Uysal to codevelop and publish a publicly accessible, comprehensive web tool to select native tree species specifically for Pennsylvania. The students were part of the computer science and engineering program under the tutelage of Assistant Professor Todd Schmid. The tool can be accessed at chesapeakeconservancy.org/projects/pennsylvania-native-tree-selector.

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“I think our conservation partners will find this tool very helpful when planning forested buffers and choosing species with landowners. It will help ensure that the right species are planted in the right places,” said Chesapeake Conservancy Restoration Project Advisor Frank Rohrer.

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"I am excited for this tool to be launched after three years of collaboration with Chesapeake Conservancy and other partners. It's been an honor to work on such an impactful project. Cheers to the release of this tool and many more trees,” said Chesapeake Conservancy Intern Ava Lang (Susquehanna University '25).

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"The Pennsylvania Tree Selector is a tool that will no doubt be a huge help to landowners and conservation planners for finding the tree best suited to their needs,” said Todd Schmid, assistant professor of computer science, faculty advisor to the senior design Pennsylvania Tree Selector team. “This Bucknell senior design team has gone above and beyond making this tool functional and easy to use, and they learned an impressive amount about trees along the way! The Chesapeake Conservancy has been a great partner throughout the development process, and I hope they keep this tool running for years to come."

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"Designing the Pennsylvania Native Tree Selector has been a meaningful way for us to apply ourskills to a real-world environmental challenge. This tool reflects not just months of development work, but a shared commitment to sustainability and public service,” said Reva Sharma on behalf of the student team from Bucknell University.

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The finished tool will be presented alongside a project poster by the student team at Bucknell University’s Senior Design Expo. Members of the public and media are invited to attend to learn more about the tool and its real-world applications.

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WHAT:Bucknell University, College of Engineering, Senior Design Expo

WHERE:Gerhard Fieldhouse, 710 Moore Ave, Lewisburg, PA 17837

WHEN:May 2, 2025, from 3PM – 5PM 

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Feature Photo by Adrienne Hobbins