Projects:Notable Trees
This project was formerly the Oldest Tree Project. It was moved to Notable trees to provide a structure for multiple features that people might find of note. Oldest tree information has been incorporated into this page and project.
Contents |
Methodologies
- Move around the area looking at trees and thinking about which one is notable.
- A Dragnet Method could work -- organize a large group of friends, and together, walk through presumably old forested areas in a wide line of walkers, like a search team. Pause at especially old-looking trees and confer with one another about their perceived age and notability.
- The Hot-Air Balloon Method. On your hot-air balloon rides, look for especially big and notable trees and seek to determine their location on land. Ask a tree-specialist to estimate the trees' age.
Map of Notable Trees
List of Notable Trees
| Blodgett Willows |
| Catalpa on Wealthy |
| Maple Tree in Richmond Park |
| Oak at 933 |
| Sigsbee Oak Grove |
There is a wonderful elm (American Elm?) on the east side of Ramsdell Ave. just north of 9 Mile Rd. While I have no idea how old it is, there are very few elms around these days, and it is a splendid tree.
Oldest Tree Methodologies
- When a tree is chopped down, one can look at the rings that range from the outer edge to the inner core. This is used to tell the age of a tree. From this I would imagine the larger around the tree is, the older. But instead of chopping down big trees, get a tall buddy and a tape measure and reeeeeach around the tree trunk.
- This is pretty much true, but not exactly. Some trees grow faster than others due to numerous factors. So, one could be bigger cicumferentially than another and still be younger. In general, though, this would be the best way to find the top five or ten candidates in the area, especially since Grand Rapids doesn't have any crazy slow-growing species of trees. Buckshot 09:07, 29 June 2007 (EDT)
- couldn't there just be someone we could ask? some local tree genius? George 09:50, 26 May 2007 (EDT)
- There's a tool you can use to drill into trees to find out their age :)
- It's called an increment borer.
- Trees are notoriouisly jealous creatures. If you prematurely give one tree a party and cake to celebrate its being the oldest tree in the area, any trees that are actually older will complain, thereby allowing you to determine the oldest among complainers. While this method may bring out the worst in trees, it would be effective in accomplishing the task.
- The public library has a lot of information on old housing plots and such that might note trees on the property. Old insurance records may also be good sources of accurate tree-history. If you found a particularly old-seeming tree, you could note the location and see if any of the old microfilm/fiche had photographs of it and how far back it goes.
External Links
- National Register of Oldest Trees
- Wikipedia:Tree (including section on Oldest Tree)trees