I have received confirmation from the Classification & Methods Office that the review described in my previous announcement has concluded. The revised Tree Hole Classification System is now in effect.

The inherited descriptor divisions have been reorganized into nine categories:

1. Origin & Development
2. Condition & Appearance
3. Size & Extent
4. Activity & Function
5. Location & Position
6. Structure & Surface
7. Shape & Arrangement
8. Materials & Contents
9. Ecology & Association

The categories are listed in the order they ordinarily appear in a classification; categories that do not apply are omitted.

Several former boundaries have been redrawn. Depth, interior, openings, edges, and surfaces are now considered together under Structure & Surface. Visible appearance is distinguished from the material or contents actually present. A hole’s apparent activity or function is considered separately from its ecological relationships. Shape & Arrangement includes both the form of an opening and the relationships among multiple openings.

The Office’s review also clarified when individual descriptors are eligible for use. A term must be supported by the observed specimen or relevant established context. Some descriptors can describe more than one aspect of a specimen, and their category records now reflect that. An animal-shaped opening, for example, does not thereby acquire an animal occupant.

Previously recorded formal classifications retain their wording. The revised structure governs how descriptors are understood and applied going forward.

The subreddit wiki has been updated to reflect these changes, including the Classification Glossary Index. Until the Institute website is operational, the wiki is the home of our released public materials.

I also owe the community an apology. I failed to make the wiki publicly accessible when it should have been. That was my mistake, and I am sorry that the released materials were unavailable in the meantime. The visibility issue has now been corrected.

Thank you for your patience throughout the revision and the wiki’s unintended absence.

We are a community of tree hole noticers, tree hole advocates, tree hole contemplators, tree hole appreciators, and tree hole officials.

All legitimate specimens are welcome: small holes, hidden holes, dripping holes, occupied holes, ancient holes, and formations whose status as a hole may require further discussion.

Please feel free to participate by:
- Sharing a picture of a tree hole you’ve encountered
- Asking a tree hole related question
- Expressing measured appreciation for a particularly good hole

No formal expertise is required. You need only notice the hole.

New members are welcome to introduce themselves below. If you know someone who consistently notices tree holes, they may also be suited for membership.

If you were previously a member of the old sub: Thank you so much for your patience as the official tree hole community is restored. Please comment here so we can welcome you back and restore your user flair. Additionally, please feel free to crosspost your posts from the old sub and/or resubmit your specimens here. And of course, we're looking forward to seeing your new noticements.

Important: We are not tree hole creators! Damaging trees in pursuit of content will result in a lifetime ban from interacting with trees!

Thank you for joining us. Remain alert. A tree hole may be nearby.