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Measure-A-Tree (Without Using a Ladder)

How can you measure the height of a 40-ft. tree? It's easy--all you need is a ruler and a tape measure.

1. Work in partners
2. Partner A should hold a 12" ruler vertically, one ruler length from his/her eyes; close one eye and slowly and carefully walk backward from the trunk of the tree until the top and bottom of the ruler appear to be even with the top and bottom of the tree
3. Partner B then measures the distance between Partner A and the tree's trunk. This is roughly the height of the tree. This method of estimating a tree's height is a practical application of geometry!

Other Tree Measurements
Trunk--Foresters measure the tree's waist or circumference at 4 feet (1.4 meters) above the ground.

Crown Spread--Place markers on the ground below the two widest points of the tree's branches (or crown), then measure the distance between them.