What began as a pandemic project in Grade 6 has blossomed into a remarkable nature app for Albertans, earning Edmonton high school senior Josh Kirsch a prestigious $100,000 scholarship. Kirsch, a student at a local high school, developed Ancient Roots Alberta, an interactive platform that catalogs and maps heritage trees across the province.
From Pandemic Project to Passion
Kirsch's fascination with nature started early. 'I've always been really interested in nature, like ever since I was a toddler, I just always loved exploring the outdoors,' he said. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he received a book titled Heritage Trees of Alberta from his elementary school librarian. 'This book really sparked my interest. It talked about just over 300 heritage trees in the province that all had a cool story behind them,' Kirsch recalled.
Inspired, he began documenting and researching trees across Alberta, from urban parks in Edmonton and Calgary to remote mountain backcountry. His family joined the pursuit, turning it into a shared adventure. Over time, Kirsch memorized most tree species native to the province and developed an eye for significant, unusual, or exceptionally large specimens.
Building a Digital Platform
In Grade 7, Kirsch created a simple Google map of heritage trees in Edmonton. But by Grade 9, the software became limiting. 'I was gathering so much information that I kind of outgrew that, so I started researching different platforms... ultimately I decided it would be more worth my time to build my own platform,' he explained.
Over the past year, Kirsch coded the website ancientrootsalberta.ca and a companion app from scratch. The site, with the headline 'Explore Alberta's Most Remarkable Trees,' currently categorizes 387 notable trees by type, including champions, centurions, native sentinels, storytellers, ancient trees, unique growth patterns, largest circumference, tall trees, edible fruit, and prime species examples.
Remarkable Discoveries
One of the oldest boulevard trees in Edmonton is a Siberian elm planted between 1910 and 1920, standing nearly 13 meters tall with a canopy spanning over 25 meters. According to the site, 'This individual has stood for over a century as one of the city's most distinctive streetside plantings... The city has even modified the surrounding sidewalk to accommodate the tree's vast surface root system, a rare recognition of its significance.'
Kirsch's dedication and innovation earned him the $100,000 scholarship, which will support his future studies. His work not only preserves Alberta's arboreal heritage but also inspires others to appreciate the natural world. 'From small acorns, mighty oaks grow,' he said, reflecting on his journey from a childhood fascination to a scholarship-winning achievement.
