Future Tense Trees is about NOW. Now is the time to take action to mitigate the impacts of climate change on the composition and integrity of our native woodlands. The name derives from the urgency of the fact that woodland composition is and will be greatly impacted by climate change. Ftt: is integrating climate science and restoration ecology to assist the current composition of woodlands and savannas into future adaptations.

The name also derives from a reference to the Tension Zone. The Tension Zone is a remarkably abrupt transition between woodland composition reflecting southern andnorthern hardwoods, occurring roughly midway in the lower peninsula of Michigan. The Tension Zone reflects the issue at hand - tree migration - but also tells an interesting story about the evolution of the study of plant ecology. This story is told below under the 'Why' page.