top view closeup of brown slice of freshly cut wood with dense concentric growth rings and bark on edges isolated on white background
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The International Summer School

Tree Rings, Climate, Natural Resources, and Human Interaction

Date: August 10th to 25th
Location: Serbia, Petnica Science Research Center
Language: English

We are excited to announce the 11th edition of the International Summer Course in dendrochronology: “Tree Rings, Climate, Natural Resources, and Human Interaction.” This course will take place from August 10th to 25th, 2025, at the Petnica Science Research Center in Serbia. It is a collaborative effort between the Geographical Institute ”Jovan Cvijić” of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SASA) and the Tree Ring Laboratory of the University of Arizona (USA), led by eminent experts Dr. Ramzi Touchan and Dr. David Meko. 

How to apply

CV and short letter expressing the candidate’s interest in the course should be sent via email:

Dr. Milica Pecelj: m.pecelj@gi.sanu.ac.rs

Dr. Ramzi Touchan: rtouchan@ltrr.arizona.edu

Registration deadline: July 14th, 2025.
Notification: Selected participants will be notified by July 18th, 2025
Course fees: 900 euros, covering the 2-week course, on-campus housing with a room, and full board

Who we are

A Brief Introduction to the Summer School

The International Summer School on Tree Rings, Climate, Natural Resources, and Human Interaction is an advanced training program designed to introduce participants to dendrochronology—the science of using tree rings to study environmental changes. Organized by the Geographical Institute “Jovan Cvijić” SANU (Serbia) in collaboration with the Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research at the University of Arizona (USA), the program focuses on understanding the dynamic relationship between tree growth and environmental factors like climate, hydrology, and natural resources.

This annual international training course focused on applying tree rings to resource management has so far been hosted in various locations, including Turkey (2008, 2014, 2022), Greece (2011), Spain (2012), Russia (2013, 2018), Poland (2019) and Jordan (2023). Collaboration with Serbia opens up new research opportunities linked to the Dinaric-Alpine system in the region of Southeastern Europe.

The proposed 14-day course aims to combine scientific expertise and local knowledge to study environmental variability, with a focus on dendrochronology (tree-ring dating) to address regional climate and resource management issues. The program will include a fieldwork component and cover sample collection, sample processing, and data analysis, and will culminate in a project presentation.

Our Services

Course Topics

Chronology Development

Sample preparation, cross-dating, ring-width measurement, standardization, and quality assessment.

Dendroclimatic Reconstructions

Identifying and reconstructing the climatic signals within tree rings

Who should attend?

The course is structured for participants who have an interest in learning the applications of Dendrochronology and have a preliminary background in statistics.

Applications

Dendroecology: Fire history and climate patterns in conifer forests.
Dendroclimatology: Precipitation and drought index reconstructions, including regional reconstructions for North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean.
Dendroarchaeology: Case studies from North America and Serbia region.
Dendrohydrology: Streamflow reconstruction, with case studies from North Africa and the western United States
Role of Dendrochronology in Resource Management: Collaborative Water Sustainability Planning in Southeastern Europe
Our Services

Course Topics

Who should attend?

The course is structured for participants who have an interest in learning the applications of Dendrochronology and have a preliminary background in statistics.

Applications

Dendroecology: Fire history and climate patterns in conifer forests.
Dendroclimatology: Precipitation and drought index reconstructions, including regional reconstructions for North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean.
Dendroarchaeology: Case studies from North America and Serbia region.
Dendrohydrology: Streamflow reconstruction, with case studies from North Africa and the western United States
Role of Dendrochronology in Resource Management: Collaborative Water Sustainability Planning in Southeastern Europe
Chronology Development

Sample preparation, cross-dating, ring-width measurement, standardization, and quality assessment.

Dendroclimatic Reconstructions

Identifying and reconstructing the climatic signals within tree rings

The International Summer School on Tree Rings, Climate, Natural Resources, and Human Interaction is an advanced training program designed to introduce participants to dendrochronology—the science of using tree rings to study environmental changes.

Apply now

CV and short letter expressing the candidate’s interest in the course should be sent via email or fill out form here:

Apply
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