Big Tree Census
In 2010 Egg Harbor
Township, New Jersey marked its
300th year as an incorporated
township. As part of
this landmark event, the
Environmental Commission launched a program identify specimen trees in our
town.
As development has taken hold in our
town we are compelled to identify
and chronicle trees that have
special historical, environmental
and aesthetic value. This is the
mission of the EHT Big Tree Program
that has been modeled after New
Jersey's Big Tree Program. With that
we would like to acknowledge the New
Jersey Forest Service.
How to Register a
Big Tree
In order to register
your "Big Tree" , click
the button below titled "Register
Your Big Tree". Fill out the
registration and press submit. It is
that easy.
There are two types
of identification, the first being
authenticated and the second
unauthenticated. We are doing this
for a fun activity for the residents
and are not authenticating
measurements. We want a
general census of our township's big
trees and will have a page on this
web site introducing the public to
our great trees.
How to Measure a
Big Tree
Circumference
Measure the
circumference of the tree at 4 1/2
feet off the ground, or if the tree
sits on a slope, 4 1/2 feet from the
uphill side. If the tree has a
branch or abnormal swelling at 4 1/2
feet, take the measurement where the
trunk returns to normal size. If you
measure below 4 1/2 feet, make sure
to include the actual height where
the measurement was taken. For
example: 182"circumference at 3
feet.
Height
1. Hold the stick at
its base vertically, making certain
that the length of the stick above
your hand equals the distance from
your hand to your eye.
2. Move away from the tree while
sighting the trunk base above your
hand while staying on ground level
(or on the same contour as the base
of the tree).
3. Stop when the top of the stick is
level with the top of the tree.
4. You should be looking over your
hand at the base of the tree and,
moving only your eyes, looking over
the top of your stick at the top of
your tree.
5. Measure how far you are from the
tree and that measurement - in feet
- is the tree's height.
Average Crown Spread
Measure the crown at
its widest and narrowest widths.
Find the average crown spread: add
the two measurements and divide by
2.
Total Points
Circumference of
trunk (in inches)
+ tree height (in feet)
+ 1/4 average crown spread (in feet)
= total points.
Common Southern
New Jersey Tree Species
American Elm (Ulmus americana)
American Holly (Iles opaca)
American Sycamore (Platanus
occidentalis)
Atlantic White Cedar (Charmaecyparis
thyoides)
Bigtooth Aspen (Populus
grandidentata)
Bitternut Hickory (Carya cordiformis)
Black Cherry (Prunus serotina)
Blackjack Oak (Quercus marilandica)
Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)
Black Oak (Quercus velutina)
Black Tupelo / Black Gum (Nyssa
sylvatica)
Black Walnut (Juglans nigra)
Black Willow (Salix nigra)
Chestnut Oak (Quercus prinus)
Choke Cherry (Prunus virginiana)
Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus
virginiana)
Flowering Dogwood ( Cornus florida)
Gray Birch (Betula populifolia)
Honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos)
Mockernut Hickory (Caraya tomentosa)
Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra) NJ
state tree
Norway Maple (Acer platanoides)
Norway Spruce ( Picea abies)
Pagoda Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia)
Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana)
Pignut Hickory (Carya glabra)
Pin Oak (Quercus palustris)
Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida)
Post Oak (Quercus stelllata)
Red Hickory (Carya ovalis)
Red Maple (Acer rubrum)
Red Mulberry (Morus rubra)
River Birch (Betula nigra)
Sand Hickory (Carya pallida)
Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)
Silver Maple (Acer saccharinum)
Southern Catalpa / Catawba (Catalpa
bignonioides)
Southern Red Oak (Quercus falcata)
Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)
Swamp White Oak (Quercus bicolor)
Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua)
Virginia Pine (Pinus virginiana)
White Oak (Quercus alba)
White Willow (Salix alba)
Willow Oak (Quercus phellos)
Arboretum and Nature Center
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