The B.C. Big Tree Registry Needs More Whitebark Pines

Calling all whitebark pine enthusiasts: The B.C. Big Tree Registry wants your trees! The Registry is a volunteer run data repository that tracks the size and location of the largest native trees, and maintains a ranking of the largest trees by species, across BC. Operating since 1986 and hosted at the University of British Columbia since 2010, the Registry acts as the foremost data source for the mapping and conservation of the largest trees in the province, and our data is utilized by conservation groups, researchers, industry, and governments. We currently have over 2000 trees in our dataset, but are sad to say that we currently have only 4 whitebark pines!

This is where you come in. We are hopeful that Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation Canada members can help us grow our numbers by measuring and submitting large whitebark pines to the Registry. All we need from you are photographs, coordinates, and measurements of height, stem diameter, and crown spread of large whitebarks across its BC range. Measuring and nominating a tree is super easy, and measuring a tree can take as little as 10 minutes with the right equipment. However there are a few important points to remember when measuring trees for the registry: 1) we measure trees based on the point-of-germination: for example, when measuring trees on steep slopes, diameter should be measured at 137 cm above the midline of the tree, not the high side. 2) We require photographs of the diameter tape and the trunk of the tree to ensure that the measurements are taken at proper height. 3) We are happy to receive nominations of multi-stemmed trees or formerly multi-stemmed trees that have fused into a single stem, however suspected multi-stemmed trees will not be “ranked”. 4) The crown spread is an average of the longest single axis of the tree crown and the length of the axis perpendicular to that. And 5) While anyone can nominate a tree, trees must be verified by qualified individuals, though we encourage nominations from everyone! We use our network of big tree enthusiasts to make sure that all nominated trees get verified.

Trees can be nominated through our convenient web-form, or you can reach out to us if you want to nominate large numbers of trees at once (there’s no limit to the number you can nominate!). Anyone with further questions – about our measurement standards, our dataset, or about your qualifications as a tree verifier – can email Jonathan (jonnyvan1@gmail.com) or Christine Chourmouzis (christine.chourmouzis@ubc.ca), or checkout our handy field guide to measuring trees (which includes standards for all measurements, tips for measuring height, and instructions on how to identify the point of germination) at bigtrees.forestry.ubc.ca/measuring-trees. With only four trees in the registry, you could soon be the person to nominate the new champion whitebark pine!

Photo by North Tweedsmuir Park, nominated by a host of WPEF members and photographed by Kira Hoffman