THE HONOUR ROLL OF ONTARIO TREES

Nominate a Tree to Ontario’s Honour Roll

It’s simple and safe to nominate your tree through our online system. However, you may also choose to download the nomination form and send it by mail, email or fax to Forests Ontario.

The species, height, diameter or circumference, location,* nominator and authenticator are all you need to nominate a tree to the Honour Roll.

The Nominator is named in the Honour Roll. Exceptions are allowed. The nominator must provide contact information to allow Forests Ontario to verify the nomination.

The Authenticator is contacted by the nominator to provide expert verification of thespecies, height, diameter and general condition of the tree. Anyone with a background in forestry, biology, or arboriculture would be qualified to serve as your Authenticator. We also require contact information for the authenticator as a means of verification. Please contact us with your questions.

Species identification is important. This is something that you can discuss with your Authenticator. If you are still unsure, simply contact us for assistance.

Height is measured in a variety of ways. Accurate measurements are needed. If you do not have a clinometer, here is a low tech way to determine tree height.

Source:

The diagram above illustrates a simple and low tech method to measure tree height using just a ruler and a long measuring tape. A stick of a known length and way to measure distance to the tree (e.g. measured piece of string) will work as well.

Walk away from the tree until you can easily see the base and top branches without moving your head. Hold the measuring stick vertically at arms length (straight elbow) over your view of the tree and determine markings on the stick that correspond to the branch tip and the base of the tree. The distance between these marks is proportional to the height of the tree. Note: it is important that you not move your head or body when you read the heights on the stick!

You will need to determine the distance your feet are from the base of the tree and distance the stick was from your eye when you took the measurements. You can use the measuring stick (tape-measure) to get the distance from your eye to hand that held the stick or have someone measure that distance while you are holding the stick. The distance to the tree can be measured with a tape measure or measured length of string.

Calculation:

Tree Height = distance to the tree x ([tree height on the stick] ÷ [distance from eye to stick])

Diameter: There are several tools available to quickly measure tree Diameter, the most common are diameter tapes and calipers. Measure the diameter at a height of 1.3 metres (breast height or 4-1/2 ft) from the ground. If the tree is on a slope, use the upslope side of the tree to determine the 1.3 m above the ground. You simply read the diameter from your measurement tool. You can then quickly determine circumference by using the equation Circumference = Diameter x pi(=3.14).

Circumference: You can measure the tree Circumference with a measuring tape. Here’s how: wrap a measuring tape around the truck at a height of 1.3 metres (breast height or 4-1/2 ft) from the ground. If the tree is on a slope, use the upslope side of the tree to determine the 1.3 m above the ground. Read the circumference around the trunk off the tape and record it. You can then easily determine the tree diameter by using the equation Diameter = Circumference ÷pi(=3.14).

Location: An exact Location should be carefully noted so others could find their way to the tree if required.Forests Ontario will only provide location information to the public if deemed appropriate by the nominator. The lot and concession number, proximity to other landmarks, etc. is useful. *This website has a Google mapping tool that allows you to pinpoint the longitude and latitude of the tree location. This is a fun, voluntary feature that will increase the interactivity of the website. In no way is it a required component of the nomination.

How are Honour Roll trees rated?

Trees are rated on a points basis so that diameter and height both play a part.The formula for calculating points is: 1/10th height (meters) x diameter (centimeters). We used to use crown as a spread factor but it tends to favour open grown rather than forest grown trees, so it was dropped as a unit in the equation. The point system is good but not without its problems.Sometimes, for example, a tree may appear to have one trunk or bole but it may in fact be two or more.

Tree Condition is an important factor in determining the long term viability of the nominated tree. There are three options for general tree condition and the nominator must choose one of: healthy, declining health or dead. There is additional space provided on the nomination form for you to describe the details of crown and trunk condition.

Honour Roll of Ontario Trees Privacy Statement

The email addresses and phone numbers collected by Forests Ontario’s Honour Roll of Ontario Trees database will be only used to verify nomination information. Names of nominators will be published as a user option only. Upon registration, the user has the option to allow Forests Ontario to contact them with additional information about our organization and activities. Information collected will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party.

Forests Ontario respects the privacy of personal information and is committed to protecting any personal information that we handle. As a basis for our own policy, we follow Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).