Come join the Atlanta Tree Climber Club and take a class with Atlanta Green Space’s very own Eli Dickerson on Saturday, June 30th in Blackburn Park in North Atlanta, GA. Morning workshop, afternoon climb and potluck picnic!
Details below:
Atlanta Tree Climbing Club
Tree Measuring Workshop led by Eli Dickerson
June 30th, 2012, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Blackburn Park, Atlanta, GA
Agenda (total 1.5 – 2 hours)
Introduction (15 minutes):
- What is a champion tree?
- Why measure trees?
- When to measure trees?
- Tools used: tape, clinometer, laser rangefinder (cost and where to purchase?)
Measuring Circumference (5-10 minutes):
- DBH/CBH, Midslope question
- Size vs. Age question
Measuring Crown Spread (15-20 minutes):
- Buddy system vs. solo
- Laser vs. tape
Measuring Height (20-30 minutes):
- SIN method and its benefits
- Leaning trees, trees on a slope, trees far below/above you, measuring in parts
Tallying total points for trees and wrap-up/further questions (10 minutes)
Participants try it for themselves! (20-30 minutes)
Eli Dickerson
Eli has a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s in public administration (non-profit administration). He has 9 years experience leading environmental education classes and managing volunteers, including with the Piedmont Park Conservancy, where he is currently employed. He truly considers himself a “naturalist” and community advocate. His hero is the legendary naturalist John Muir.
Eli has been enamored with trees since childhood, but had a renewed interest upon seeing the redwoods, sequoias and Joshua trees during his short time living in California. His full blown obsession with trees began after hearing Richard Preston speak on his book, The Wild Trees, in Spring 2008. Soon thereafter, Eli became a member of the Native Tree Society (www.nativetreesociety.org) and learned the techniques of accurate tree measurement.
Beginning in 2009, Trees Atlanta turned over to Eli its “Atlanta’s Biggest Trees” program, a list of all of the champion trees inside the I‑285 perimeter (http://www.treesatlanta.org/atlantasbiggesttrees.aspx). To date, Eli has located, identified and measured well over 1,000 native trees in metro-Atlanta, including roughly 100 city champions, a dozen state champions and 1 national champion tree.
Eli has also worked to compile data culled from fellow Native Tree Society members in order to update a comprehensive list of the tallest trees of Georgia by species. This has led to the discovery of numerous superlative trees, such as the tallest known Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida) in North America, which stands at a whopping 56.4’ tall (!) in the Woodlands Garden in Decatur (http://woodlandsgarden.org/).
