It's a little buggy on Wesselman trail, Thursday afternoon, Sept. 11.
Derek Walsh of Wesselman Woods in Evansville is standing before the current tallest Sweet Gum tree in the state, at 140 feet tall.
“So we're very honored here at Westman woods to have this as well as a few other state champions and former state champions,” Walsh said.
Other Vanderburgh County statewide champions include a 204 foot tall Cherrybark Oak and a 205 foot wide Overcup Oak in Knight Township. There are also champions in Warrick, Posey and Gibson Counties.
Walsh said this program is important, because people are attracted to mega fauna like grizzly bears and giraffes — sometimes ignoring these plants.
“By acknowledging and kind of shining the light on these large trees, we can show people the wonders of the plant worlds, and hopefully get them also to care about the plants, both the big ones that tower above the forest floor, as well as the small ones that make this forest so unique.”
He said there are so many local state champions thanks to the efforts of Tom Westfall, who took it upon himself to measure and submit so many trees to the program.
It also helps that as the county furthest south, is also the warmest with a slightly longer growing season.
For the program, The DNR is accepting nominations for all tree species, especially those without a current champion — like the Canada Plum and Umbrella Magnolia.
There are tips for accurately measuring the height, width, canopy cover and so on at the Big Tree Champion Website.
A Swamp Chestnut Oak Tree in Jennings County was recently recognized as the largest of the species in the country, according to the Indiana DNR.
This specimen is on the private family farm of Richard and Kris Schepman outside of Crothersville. This recent winner received a visit and a certificate from Indiana Governor Mike Braun
Support independent journalism today. You rely on WNIN to stay informed, and we depend on you to make our work possible. Give to grow our local reporting today. Donate