Count Your Trees!

Add Tree Data to a National Tree Census using iSeaTree!

Using simple tools (like a measuring tape) and our iSeaTree mobile app, this activity will teach you how to identify a tree, measure its DBH (Diameter at Breast Height), and calculate the tree’s stormwater and carbon benefits. You’ll add all this information to a National Tree Census using the iSeaTree app.

AVAILABLE AT THE FOLLOWING APP STORES:

iSeaTree (v.2)!

In this assignment, we will use the iSeaTree mobile app to enter local tree data. The iSeaTree app utilizes the US Forest Service’s iTree program to calculate tree benefits such as: carbon sequestration/storage, stormwater runoff, and air quality.

In order to calculate the benefits of a particular tree, you will need to enter the following data points:

Species (*if you don’t know the species – or the species is not available to enter, you can enter ‘Unknown’ and someone will check your entry to help you learn what species it is.)
DBH (Diameter at Breast Height)
Tree Condition
Crown Light Exposure

You will enter these data points on our mobile app, iSeaTree, which you can download from here or at our website here: treemama.org. (Hint: there is also a online dashboard where you can see all of the tree entries being made around the country!).

How to determine a tree species?

The first step to determining a tree species is by looking at the leaf type. Is the tree a ‘conifer’ or a ‘broadleaf’? Once you know that, you can use tools such as field guides and mobile apps, to help you refine what type of tree you are looking at.

How to measure a DBH?

To measure the DBH (Diameter at Breast Height) of a tree, you will need the following:

a piece of long string (long enough to wrap around the trunk of a tree)
a measuring tape

a DBH tape

Following the instructions in this video, you can use these tools to measure the DBH of your tree.

Journal Questions

Identify, Measure, and Enter at least 5 trees into the iSeaTree mobile app. Which tree provided the most in terms of:
– CO2 sequestration
– Stormwater
– and Air Quality benefits?
(Hint: take a picture of your ‘Tree Benefits Calculator’ on your phone before you ‘Save’ your data entry. ADD A PHOTO OF IT TO YOUR JOURNAL ENTRY!)
The average American carbon footprint is 16 metric tons (32000 lbs.) per year. How many trees of the species and size that you surveyed would you need in order sequester 32000 lbs. of CO2 per year?
What is the most common tree you see in your neighborhood?

Earn badges and qualify for prize drawing by registering and answering journal questions. It's fun and easy!

Online Tree field guides

Arbor Day – https://www.arborday.org/trees/whattree/

N. Carolina – https://projects.ncsu.edu/cals/plantbiology/ncsc/tnc/identify.htm

Book Field Guides:

Trees of North America – https://www.amazon.com/Trees-North-America-Identification-Revised/dp/1582380929/

Free Mobile Apps (Note: these apps are still ‘learning’ how to identify trees – and are not tree specific. We always recommend you verify your results with a field guide).

Picture This:
https://www.picturethisai.com/