For the last century, a champion grew tall, deep inside a swath of abandoned Johnston farmland.
Former Johnston Historical Society board member and tree enthusiast Dan Meunier was walking his dog in the woods behind his Johnston home in March when he discovered a tree that is tied with the state pignut hickory champion.
John Campanini, technical advisor for the Rhode Island Tree Council, came out to the site and confirmed the measurements in June. Its co-champion, a 117-foot pignut hickory, is located in the Lincoln Woods Park.
A champion tree is determined by a point system based on the model from the American Forest Association. Points are awarded to each tree based on measurements taken of its trunk circumference, height and average crown spread. The tree with the highest total points is the state champion in that particular species. The Helen Walker Raleigh Big Tree Program is supported by a grant from the Helen Walker Raleigh Tree Care Trust, which is managed by the Rhode Island Foundation.
Pignut hickory (Carya glabra) trees are native to Rhode Island. Campanini estimates this newfound champion to be between 100 and 125 years old. It is located on an upland ridge on the land of an abandoned farm in Johnston, which Campanini believes is the reason why the tree wasn’t found until recently.
“It is an elder of the community it's in, and it’s very healthy,” he said. “Dan walks his dog in that area, and never really saw how big the tree was because of the dense area.”
“The reason [these trees] have been protected for so long is because they were a part of a pasture or farming operation,” said Dan Meunier who nominated the tree. “That’s my theory.”
Meunier discovered the tree at the end of March about a thousand feet from his house, where he has lived for the past 34 years.
“Since I was a little kid I’ve been involved with finding big trees,” he said. He stumbled upon the tree while on a hike along a nature trail behind his home.
Johnston is already home to three other champion trees. A 100-foot red maple is located on private property on David Drive but can be spotted from the street. A 63-foot white cedar is located opposite the Mohr Memorial Library, on the north side of Memorial Avenue just before the intersection with Atwood Avenue. A 61-foot white mulberry is located at a residential home on Morgan Avenue.
RI Tree Council
The Rhode Island Tree Council (RI Tree), located in Johnston, was founded in 1994 and is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. They partner with other environmental organizations such as the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management’s (RIDEM) Division of Forest Environment and the U.S. Forest Service.
The Champion Tree Program is just one of many programs that RI Tree has created in order to educate the community about the importance and benefits of forests. Upcoming events with RI Tree include the Fruit Tree Course and the Fall Tree Steward Course.
According to Campanini, there are 970 trees in RI Tree’s Tree Hall of Fame. Each tree needs to be remeasured every eight years to ensure that the tree is still alive and standing tall. There are still 35 trees that have been nominated as champions that still need their measurements confirmed.
Tree Bonus
Trees, especially in urban areas, have a variety of benefits for the environment. Rhode Island forests remove pollutants from the air through photosynthesis, act as carbon sinks sequestering 500,000 metric tons of carbon each year, counter the heat island effect, reduce the dangers of flooding and provide habitat for wildlife. Forests also have economic benefits, supplying jobs for workers in the lumber industry, and providing places for recreation.
“The one thing about Rhode Island is we’re in the sweet spot for temperate forests,” said Campanini. “There is a momentous cornucopia of different species that thrive here.”
In fact, because Rhode Island gets enough rainfall and has a mild climate, RI Tree has counted 148 different tree species in the state.
“My biggest interest is the preservation of forest areas. There’s so much that’s important about trees,” said Meunier.
However, forests in Rhode Island are under attack. They are challenged by invasive species, diseases, removal due to construction and development, increased air and water pollutants, and rising temperatures due to climate change. In many urban spaces, the poor and compacted soils constrain root growth and do not allow trees to complete their full life cycles.
“We started the program because as a tree organization, we were concerned about the number of large and elderly trees being removed,” said Campanini. “Just because a tree is older doesn’t mean it’s hazardous or unsafe.”
So what can be done? The simple solution might be obvious; plant more trees! Plant trees in your yard, on your street, in your neighborhood, etc. Support RI Tree’s mission to create healthy urban and community forests by becoming a member, donor, or volunteer. Attend RI Tree’s workshops, become a Tree Steward, and work to educate yourself and others about the importance of our state’s forests.
“I would like to see some sort of legislation that could protect these trees further,” said Meunier. “That would be the goal.”
Editor’s Note: Greta Shuster is a Beacon Media editorial summer intern.
CONTACT THEM
Contact the Rhode Island Tree Council in Johnston, by calling 401-764-5885, or by email RITree@RITree.org.
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