Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Wednesday 12 april 2017

Forget roses and birds. These folks like their big trees

MICHAEL CASEY To find a champion, an their connection with the
Associated Press owner starts by measur- outdoors and nature,” said
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. (AP) ing its circumference and Mary Tebo Davis, a natu-
— A horse chestnut tree submitting that data to the ral resources field special-
towers over a busy street tree program. Then, Martin ist at the University of New
in New Hampshire’s main or another volunteer goes Hampshire Cooperative Ex-
port city. It’s known for its out to measure its circum- tension, which runs the big
history more than its height; ference, height and crown, tree program.
legend has it that William as well as its overall condi- The big trees, like the horse
Whipple planted it after re- tions, and come up with a chestnut in Portsmouth,
turning in 1776 from signing point total. Winners earn are also popular because
the Declaration of Inde- a place in the big tree list, they are tied to a historical
pendence. and the owner gets a cer- event or have proven so
But at nearly 70 feet (21 tificate. Some even have resilient — surviving some-
meters) tall, it is also big their photos taken along- times for centuries.
for a chestnut, and that is side the tree. “You can’t imagine the
what brought Keven Mar- “It’s like finding a rare tiger. number of people who
tin out one rainy morning. There is a segment of the had their picture taken
Armed with tape to mea- In this March 24, 2017 photo, Kevin Martin, state coordinator for population that really con- under that tree, groups of
sure its circumference and New Hampshire’s Big Tree Program, is dwarfed by the giant a nects with trees,” said Ian kids who encircle the tree,”
a laser finder to calculate European Beech tree he is measuring in Portsmouth, N.H. Leahy, director of urban Barbara Ward, the director
its height, Martin was here Associated Press forest programs for Ameri- and curator of the historic
to find out whether the tree can Forests who coordi- Moffatt-Ladd House, out-
remained the state’s big- the state is home to 10 na- just a lot more impressive nates its American Biggest side which the tree stands.
gest horse chestnut, a title tional champions, includ- when you see them in the Trees program. “There is “It’s such a nice thing for
it has held for decades. ing the country’s biggest woods or driving by.” a just a deep, deep pas- children in particular. But
“It is not only the biggest, black spruce and Ameri- Started in 1950, the state’s sion. In some ways, it’s just even adults are just awed
but it’s been around a long can mountainash. Big Tree Program has been out being in nature. It’s like by the idea that a living
time,” said Martin, who co- “People appreciate a big part of a nationwide net- hunting, but without killing thing has been here that
ordinates New Hampshire’s tree more, and they have work run by the conserva- anything.” long.”
Big Tree Program when he a lot of history to them. tion group American For- But it’s not just the thrill of Martin was done mea-
is not building boats. More People have a connection ests that has logged some finding a big tree. These suring, and Ward looked
than 700 champions in the with them, more so,” said 721 champions across the forest giants serve as role on anxiously, wondering
state have been crowned. Martin, who has written a country — 200 species still models of sorts, helping the whether the horse chestnut
And while there may not book on the big trees found don’t have a title holder. public understand the out- had done enough to keep
be any redwoods out here, on public lands. “They are Created to raise aware- sized role trees play in na- its title. More precise mea-
ness about protecting for- ture by feeding and shel- suring techniques meant
est from threats like devel- tering animals, protecting the tree had lost some
opment and forest pests, watersheds and providing height, but it appeared to
as well as a way to better a sink for carbon that helps have made up the differ-
understand why some spe- to offset greenhouse gas ence by increasing its cir-
cies grow so large, the ef- emissions. They are espe- cumference.
fort today is driven by tree cially important in a state “It’s still a champion, yep,”
lovers like Martin. like New Hampshire, which Martin said later, after he
They spend their free time is 83 percent forested. was able to tally up all the
scanning highways, historic “By starting to look at one numbers. “It still beat out all
sites and the state’s hiking tree and appreciate it, the horse chestnuts in the
trials for the next big one. people start to understand state.”q