Click on image to see its original size
Hopefully the picture works.
Joel Lapin
Morton Arboretum
Morton Arboretum
Last time I posted about a tree in my town measured with chincy office products. This time I am posting about a tree at the arboretum, measured with even chincier office products, but complimented with a picture I found online. I measured it to be from 120-130 ft.
Click on image to see its original size
Hopefully the picture works.
Joel Lapin
Click on image to see its original size
Hopefully the picture works.
Joel Lapin
Re: Morton Arboretum
Joel,
Gorgeous tree. I love cottonwoods. On a recent visit to Lake Champlain, I measured some beauties. One was off the side of the road back in some woods. Getting to it required negotiating a patch of briars (ouch). Then the tree was covered in vines. I had to work my way in to get at the trunk, but it was worth the effort. The tree measured 17.4 feet around. Its battered top was only 73 feet above its base, but that didn't matter. Here is a close up of the trunk.
On the way to Chazy, NY, I spotted a tall cottonwood in a yard about 60 yards from the shore of the lake. Nobody was home so I went over and measured its girth at 15.4 feet. Its height was an impressive 115.0 feet. Cottonwoods rule.
My goal is to break 120 somewhere along the borders of Lake Champlain. One hundred feet is easy to break, but most top out at between 100 and 106 or 107 feet.
BTW, where is the Morton Arboretum? Springfield?
Bob
Bob
Gorgeous tree. I love cottonwoods. On a recent visit to Lake Champlain, I measured some beauties. One was off the side of the road back in some woods. Getting to it required negotiating a patch of briars (ouch). Then the tree was covered in vines. I had to work my way in to get at the trunk, but it was worth the effort. The tree measured 17.4 feet around. Its battered top was only 73 feet above its base, but that didn't matter. Here is a close up of the trunk.
BTW, where is the Morton Arboretum? Springfield?
Bob
Bob
Robert T. Leverett
Co-founder, Native Native Tree Society
Co-founder and President
Friends of Mohawk Trail State Forest
Co-founder, National Cadre
Co-founder, Native Native Tree Society
Co-founder and President
Friends of Mohawk Trail State Forest
Co-founder, National Cadre
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James Parton
- Posts: 1576
- Joined: Wed Mar 10, 2010 5:47 pm
Re: Morton Arboretum
Joel,
I posted a little while back on using methods other than the reference-standard ENTS method which uses a rangefinder. I used the Biltmore Stick as an example. That is fine and keep it up but I would encourage you to get a rangefinder when possible. The Nikon Forestry 550 is said to be really easy to use. Basically point and click. You point it at the top and take a reading and point it at the bottom and get a reading and wha-la you have your measurement. It does the angles and math for you so you don't have to have a clinometer and calculator like I have to use with my older Nikon 440. At least that is my understanding.
What kind of tree did you measure and it in the picture?
James
I posted a little while back on using methods other than the reference-standard ENTS method which uses a rangefinder. I used the Biltmore Stick as an example. That is fine and keep it up but I would encourage you to get a rangefinder when possible. The Nikon Forestry 550 is said to be really easy to use. Basically point and click. You point it at the top and take a reading and point it at the bottom and get a reading and wha-la you have your measurement. It does the angles and math for you so you don't have to have a clinometer and calculator like I have to use with my older Nikon 440. At least that is my understanding.
What kind of tree did you measure and it in the picture?
James
James E Parton
Ovate Course Graduate - Druid Student
Bardic Mentor
New Order of Druids
http://www.druidcircle.org/nod/index.ph ... Itemid=145
Ovate Course Graduate - Druid Student
Bardic Mentor
New Order of Druids
http://www.druidcircle.org/nod/index.ph ... Itemid=145
Re: Morton Arboretum
James
The tree in the picture is a Cottonwood at an arboretum west of Chicago (I encourage anyone in the area to go, it is an outstanding and well funded exhibit). To measure I use a protractor with a string attached and a straw on top. I measure over and over again until I get some consistent final results, like the same answer two or three times. It took a lot of ingenuity to build such a sophisticated device, so I am proud to use it. The rangefinders seem nice but I dont have such a bad desire to know how tall the tree is such that I would spend $200. To know the height plus or minus ten feet is good enough for me. Id like to see more trees of that size around the upper midwest though. When you look at a satellite image, it really is amazing how widespread the farms go uninterupted by any other ecosystem. I find cornfields beautiful (only a true midwesterner would), but I really would like to see more of the old rural land around chicago preserved instead of turned into subdivisions.
The tree in the picture is a Cottonwood at an arboretum west of Chicago (I encourage anyone in the area to go, it is an outstanding and well funded exhibit). To measure I use a protractor with a string attached and a straw on top. I measure over and over again until I get some consistent final results, like the same answer two or three times. It took a lot of ingenuity to build such a sophisticated device, so I am proud to use it. The rangefinders seem nice but I dont have such a bad desire to know how tall the tree is such that I would spend $200. To know the height plus or minus ten feet is good enough for me. Id like to see more trees of that size around the upper midwest though. When you look at a satellite image, it really is amazing how widespread the farms go uninterupted by any other ecosystem. I find cornfields beautiful (only a true midwesterner would), but I really would like to see more of the old rural land around chicago preserved instead of turned into subdivisions.
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James Parton
- Posts: 1576
- Joined: Wed Mar 10, 2010 5:47 pm
Re: Morton Arboretum
Joel,
I gotta say, your device is pretty ingenious and unique. I can also appreciate your measuring more than once to make sure you get consistant readings. That also is a good idea to do with clinometers and rangefinders. It helps one catch their mistakes.
Carl Schenck had to think up the Biltmore Stick. Your unique way of measuring is cut from the same cloth.
James
I gotta say, your device is pretty ingenious and unique. I can also appreciate your measuring more than once to make sure you get consistant readings. That also is a good idea to do with clinometers and rangefinders. It helps one catch their mistakes.
Carl Schenck had to think up the Biltmore Stick. Your unique way of measuring is cut from the same cloth.
James
James E Parton
Ovate Course Graduate - Druid Student
Bardic Mentor
New Order of Druids
http://www.druidcircle.org/nod/index.ph ... Itemid=145
Ovate Course Graduate - Druid Student
Bardic Mentor
New Order of Druids
http://www.druidcircle.org/nod/index.ph ... Itemid=145
Re: Morton Arboretum
Bob,
The Morton Aboretum is on the north side of the town where my bother lives, Lisle Illinois. Like someone said before it is west of Chicago, about 30 miles. My neice work there during her summer vactions and my brother is a member.
Here is a map showing its location to Chicago.
http://tinyurl.com/2dyy97l
and one just showing it
http://tinyurl.com/2bynog9
Their web site is http://www.mortonarb.org/
It is my understanding that they have a good collection of hybrid oaks along with two Illinois State champs.
Mmmm, I am going up to Chicago to talk to the EPA in a couple of weeks and was thinking about just going up after seed collecting at Shaw Nature Reserve but maybe I need to go a day earlier and pop over to Morton Aboretum.
Beth
The Morton Aboretum is on the north side of the town where my bother lives, Lisle Illinois. Like someone said before it is west of Chicago, about 30 miles. My neice work there during her summer vactions and my brother is a member.
Here is a map showing its location to Chicago.
http://tinyurl.com/2dyy97l
and one just showing it
http://tinyurl.com/2bynog9
Their web site is http://www.mortonarb.org/
It is my understanding that they have a good collection of hybrid oaks along with two Illinois State champs.
Mmmm, I am going up to Chicago to talk to the EPA in a couple of weeks and was thinking about just going up after seed collecting at Shaw Nature Reserve but maybe I need to go a day earlier and pop over to Morton Aboretum.
Beth
Trees are the Answer