Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


The hunt is on again for Michigan’s biggest trees – with some impressive winners identified across the WHMI listening area in the last contest.

Area residents and Michiganders are invited to join in the adventure of searching for the biggest trees around the state this spring and summer as part of ReLeaf Michigan’s Big Tree Hunt.

The Big Tree Hunt is a free, family-friendly contest for all ages. This marks the 16th biennial event - a fun outdoor challenge that helps to document, honor, and highlight the state’s most impressive trees. The deadline for submittals is August 22nd.

ReLeaf says “Whether you’re young or young-at-heart, the Big Tree Hunt is your invitation to explore! You can join the hunt as a solo adventurer, make it a family outing, or compete with friends to see who finds the biggest tree in your area. Please note that while the tree locations are entered into the contest, they are not automatically made public”.

The contest recognizes:
-The largest tree in every Michigan county
-The largest tree found by a Big Tree Hunter age 16 or older
-The largest tree found by a Big Tree Hunter age 15 or younger
-The largest White Pine (Michigan’s state tree)
-Potential new state champions for specific tree species

Trees discovered during the contest help update the Michigan Champion Tree Registry and have the potential to become part of the National Champion Tree Registry. Entries are also regularly featured as the Big Tree of the Week on ReLeaf Michigan’s Facebook page.

Some impressive trees and winners were found locally in the last contest.

For the 2020-2022 contest, the largest tree in Livingston County was a white willow at 254-inches circumference - nominated by Benjamin Forrest and Justin Girard in the Tyrone/Fenton area.

New state champion trees were also located across the WHMI listening area during that contest.

The new state champion for a sugar maple tree measuring 232.2-inches in circumference was nominated by Sherrie Van Buren in Gregory.

Also in Livingston County, a state champion in the pitch pine category measured 79-inches and was nominated by Richard Pomorski in Pinckney.

In Washtenaw County, a mockernut hickory tree at 123-inches in Whitmore Lake was also submitted by Pomorski.

In Genesee County, a red maple measuring 273-inches in Flushing was nominated by Cameron Dove.

Big Tree Hunt Chair Lindsay Lights told WHMI the contest was originally started to just to help raise more awareness about trees.

Lights said ReLeaf plants trees all over the state but also does education and partners with communities to plant trees. In addition to presentations, they also host hands-on planting experiences and get trees in the ground every spring and fall. Lights said they plant around 700 trees a year – and have planted well over 33,000 since they started 1988.

Lights encouraged people to submit any trees that might just be special to them, as it’s not always super huge trees that win in a category. She also offered some tips when it comes to finding bigger trees.

Lights said some can be found in a natural forest or a forest preserve, somewhere that’s been in the same ownership for a long time, or other places along creeks where maybe a tree couldn’t get touched by harvesting equipment. She also said towns that have been around for a while are also a good place to look - notably by courthouses and cemeteries.

Lights noted measurements are done in circumference and easy. She recommends using a string to wrap around a tree, mark the distance, and then lay it flat and use a real measuring tape to get the total.

After the contest closes, ReLeaf Michigan’s team will verify the measurements of the largest trees.

Winning trees and their nominators will be honored in a special awards ceremony at Chippewa Nature Center in Midland on October 18th. In the last contest, over 100 certificates and prizes were awarded from entries across 79 of Michigan's 83 counties.

Lights said “Everyone has a big tree somewhere near them. Now is the time to look, then submit your tree before the contest ends on August 22nd.”

More about the contest and how to enter is available in the provided link and attachments.

Photos top to bottom: Sherrie Van Buren, Justin Girard, Benjamin Forrest