How can you find the age of a city tree?

What Crafty Clover says in this video

Intro

Hi there, curious minds! I'm Crafty Clover! Let's discover something amazing. How can you find the age of a city tree?

The Big Idea

Some city trees are older than the city itself! How can you tell a tree's age? There are two ways.

Count Rings

Step one: Count Rings. The best way is to count the rings in a cut stump, since a tree adds one ring each year. But never cut a living tree.

Measure

Step two: Measure. For a living tree, measure around the trunk at about chest height. Divide by about three to estimate how wide the trunk is.

Charts

Step three: Charts. Foresters have charts that estimate age from width for each species. Big old trees are precious.

A Closer Look

Let's take a closer look! Each ring is a year. Wide rings mean good years. Narrow rings mean hard years. The center is oldest.

Quick Facts

Quick facts! Some city trees are more than 200 years old. Never cut living trees. Wet years make wide rings. Use a string to measure.

Think Like a Scientist

Now, think like a scientist! Find a tree stump with a grown-up. Count its rings to find its age. Measure how thick the narrow and wide rings are. Which years were good for growing? Write down what you find.

Outro

You can find a city tree's age by counting rings on a stump or by measuring around a living trunk and using forester charts. Never cut a living tree. Science is amazing! The world is full of surprises. Keep asking big questions, and keep exploring with me! Crafty Clover can be found on Amazon Books, Google Bookstore, and Apple Books. Available for purchase or download! Bye for now!