Great Trees

"The official hunt for champion-size trees began in Maryland in 1925, Bennett said, when Fred Besley, the state's first official forester, decided to develop a system to compare trees from different parts of the state. He devised a three-part system that involved measuring height of the tree, the girth of the trunk and the average crown spread, or the distances among points along the "drip line" of the tree. Maryland's program soon grew to a nationwide competition conducted by the American Forestry Association. " Source: "Maryland's Trees Stand Tall", Washington Post, 15 May 2008.

So it all began. There are state and national champions -- the largest, most beautiful individuals of every species of tree growing in Maryland and the nation. Sadly, there are no Champion Trees in St. Mary’s County (2009), and there certainly should be, we need to find them. We would also like to compile a registry (a list) of the champion trees of St. Mary’s County.

So we are going to learn how to collect the relevant data necessary to compare individual trees.

Circumference (in inches)
Height (to the nearest foot)
Average Crown Spread
Age (For the fun of it!)

Subpages (3): How to Measure the Crown Spread Measuring the Height of a Tree Using a Clinometer to Measure the Height of a Tree

Elms Environmental Education Center

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Great Trees