The City of Carmel has found the biggest tree in the city, and it’s a sycamore!
The Carmel Urban Forestry Committee invited residents to submit entries for their biggest trees in a month-long contest centered on this year’s Arbor Day. The city gathered measurements and inspected the entries to identify the biggest tree in Carmel.
The winning entry comes from the Wong family on Cool Creek Drive, who submitted their big tree that measured 271.8 inches in circumference, almost 60 inches larger than the runner-up tree on Canary Court.
Carmel has been recognized as a Tree City USA for 27 years and a Tree City Growth Award winner for more than 20, for the city’s dedication of preserving and increasing the number of trees in the community. This is due primarily to an aggressive street tree program that, last year, added 600 more trees to city streets and boulevards.
“I wanted to create a way to make our residents more aware of our mature urban forest,” Mayor Jim Brainard said. “This contest helped them see how many large old trees exist in our community and reminded them of this valuable asset.”
For the first time, the City’s Urban Forestry Committee celebrated Arbor Day with the Big Tree Contest. The city launched this contest in March. A total of 142 entries were received in 10 species categories. The largest tree was determined from those species’ finalists. The winner was announced at the Carmel Farmers Market’s first weekend in May.
Carmel’s Environmental Planner and urban forestry expert, Daren Mindham, said the contest increased residents’ interest in the urban forest and the large trees in Carmel. The plan is to continue this contest in the future.
For more information visit carmelurbanforestry.com.