Comments on: our ‘big tree’ project http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2006/11/28/our-big-tree-project/ a place where nature, photography and writing meet Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:40:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: burning silo http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2006/11/28/our-big-tree-project/#comment-11794 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 12:29:13 +0000 http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2006/11/28/our-big-tree-project/#comment-11794 pablo - I hope you'll do some tree measuring and post the results at <a href="http://roundrockjournal.com/" rel="nofollow">Roundrock Journal</a>. It would be neat to hear about some of the big trees in the Roundrock forests. Originally, we got our GPS to use with our nature observations as we have a biologist friend who keeps a GPS-based database of nature observations for this part of Ontario and we contribute sightings to it. However, we have used it for geocaching. We haven't actually gone out looking for caches too often, but when were more involved with some community forests, we set up caches at a few sites to get people interested in making use of the hiking trails that had been created. We found that, if we set up a multi-waypoint cache along a trail, it helped to make people aware of the trail's existence as they would visit to look for the cache, and then come back again in future to just hike. pablo - I hope you’ll do some tree measuring and post the results at Roundrock Journal. It would be neat to hear about some of the big trees in the Roundrock forests.
Originally, we got our GPS to use with our nature observations as we have a biologist friend who keeps a GPS-based database of nature observations for this part of Ontario and we contribute sightings to it. However, we have used it for geocaching. We haven’t actually gone out looking for caches too often, but when were more involved with some community forests, we set up caches at a few sites to get people interested in making use of the hiking trails that had been created. We found that, if we set up a multi-waypoint cache along a trail, it helped to make people aware of the trail’s existence as they would visit to look for the cache, and then come back again in future to just hike.

]]> by: pablo http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2006/11/28/our-big-tree-project/#comment-11786 Sat, 02 Dec 2006 09:38:49 +0000 http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2006/11/28/our-big-tree-project/#comment-11786 This is exactly the kind of thing I'm supposed to be doing in my woods as part of my membership in the Missouri Forest Keepers organization. I've never done it, but this could be a start for me. Also, those GPS units are great for an outdoor sport called Geocaching. This is exactly the kind of thing I’m supposed to be doing in my woods as part of my membership in the Missouri Forest Keepers organization. I’ve never done it, but this could be a start for me.

Also, those GPS units are great for an outdoor sport called Geocaching.

]]> by: burning silo http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2006/11/28/our-big-tree-project/#comment-11637 Thu, 30 Nov 2006 19:01:04 +0000 http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2006/11/28/our-big-tree-project/#comment-11637 Wayne - It's interesting that former inhabitants probably left the tree to grow. Where I live, there's a huge White Pine out in the farm field across from us -- actually, there are a few more that I can see across the countryside around here -- and all are surrounded by farm fields. The farmers have intentionally left these huge trees, even though some of them must have shaded a good bit of cropland at their base. I wonder if they let them stand as shade for livestock, or because they decided not to cut down the last of the great pines in this region. Thanks for posting the Georgia Champion Tree link. I was thinking that, when I get my tree chart up online, I'd post links to all of the "big tree" registries that I come across as I've noticed some are actually difficult to find. Might be a good resource for others who want to compare trees. I agree with you on those landscape planted trees. They might benefit from special care, but I would think they also suffer somewhat from soil compaction around their roots, along with the other indignities which you've mentioned. Wayne - It’s interesting that former inhabitants probably left the tree to grow. Where I live, there’s a huge White Pine out in the farm field across from us — actually, there are a few more that I can see across the countryside around here — and all are surrounded by farm fields. The farmers have intentionally left these huge trees, even though some of them must have shaded a good bit of cropland at their base. I wonder if they let them stand as shade for livestock, or because they decided not to cut down the last of the great pines in this region.
Thanks for posting the Georgia Champion Tree link. I was thinking that, when I get my tree chart up online, I’d post links to all of the “big tree” registries that I come across as I’ve noticed some are actually difficult to find. Might be a good resource for others who want to compare trees.
I agree with you on those landscape planted trees. They might benefit from special care, but I would think they also suffer somewhat from soil compaction around their roots, along with the other indignities which you’ve mentioned.

]]> by: Wayne http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2006/11/28/our-big-tree-project/#comment-11635 Thu, 30 Nov 2006 18:52:08 +0000 http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2006/11/28/our-big-tree-project/#comment-11635 Taking a closer note at that age-estimation website - two things: Looks like the growth factor is X years for every inch of diameter. In our walnut's case, 119/3.14 x 4.5 and as you can up with, 170 years. Good going on the math, Bev! The other thing that was interesting was the comment about landscape planted trees. While I appreciate the warning, it strikes me that a lot of landscape planted trees are in danger zones where they're not like to get very big anyway. Pruning by electric companies that use contaminated saws, acquisition by subsequent owners who don't particularly like the tree, etc. Taking a closer note at that age-estimation website - two things:

Looks like the growth factor is X years for every inch of diameter. In our walnut’s case, 119/3.14 x 4.5 and as you can up with, 170 years. Good going on the math, Bev!

The other thing that was interesting was the comment about landscape planted trees. While I appreciate the warning, it strikes me that a lot of landscape planted trees are in danger zones where they’re not like to get very big anyway. Pruning by electric companies that use contaminated saws, acquisition by subsequent owners who don’t particularly like the tree, etc.

]]> by: Wayne http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2006/11/28/our-big-tree-project/#comment-11634 Thu, 30 Nov 2006 18:45:10 +0000 http://magickcanoe.com/blog/2006/11/28/our-big-tree-project/#comment-11634 Bev - excellent - and your discovery was species specific too. 170 years old suggests that the former inhabitants left the tree growing. We know much of our property was cotton-growing land, so that many of the trees are relatively recent, but how interesting! I ran across the "Georgia Champion Trees" website at http://www.gfc.state.ga.us/ChampionTrees/ChampionTrees.cfm which doesn't excite you but the search term "champion trees" might. The black walnut champion in Georgia is just a little taller, twice the crown, and an amazing 227 inches in circumference. But ours looks to be extremely healthy - perhaps in another 200 years it will be the champion! Bev - excellent - and your discovery was species specific too. 170 years old suggests that the former inhabitants left the tree growing. We know much of our property was cotton-growing land, so that many of the trees are relatively recent, but how interesting!

I ran across the “Georgia Champion Trees” website at
http://www.gfc.state.ga.us/ChampionTrees/ChampionTrees.cfm
which doesn’t excite you but the search term “champion trees” might. The black walnut champion in Georgia is just a little taller, twice the crown, and an amazing 227 inches in circumference. But ours looks to be extremely healthy - perhaps in another 200 years it will be the champion!

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