Help find DC’s Largest Tree
Help us find Washington, DC’s largest tree!
Where is DC’s largest tree? Is it in your local park? On your street? In your own backyard?! We’re looking for DC’s most massive tree – you can help by filling out the information below.
HOW TO MEASURE
Measuring the Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) of a tree is a valuable technique for assessing tree size and growth. While professional tools like calipers or diameter tapes are commonly used, you can still accurately measure a tree’s DBH with readily available items and a bit of ingenuity. Use this as your do-it-yourself guide to measuring a tree’s DBH without professional tools, allowing you to contribute to citizen science initiatives, personal projects, or simply satisfy your curiosity about the natural world.
DBH can be measured with a flexible measuring tape, or with a piece of string and a standard measuring tape or ruler.
With a string:
- With measuring tape, measure 4.5 feet up the trunk of the tree from the ground. Use a thumbtack to mark the height on the tree or hold it securely.
- Wrap your string around the tree trunk at 4.5 feet from the ground. Make sure the string is straight and tight around the trunk, and mark or cut the circumference on the string.
- Measure the length of the string to get the circumference of the tree.
- Convert the circumference measurement to diameter by dividing the circumference by pi (3.14). We do this part for you in the form below!