The Geauga Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) is excited to announce the 2020 Geauga
County BIG TREE Contest and is currently seeking nominations! This voluntary contest promotes the
beauty and benefits provided by our county’s biggest and oldest trees, along with their contributions to clean water and healthy soil. The 2020 featured tree species is the Black Walnut (Juglans nigra).
Known as one of America’s most treasured trees, Black Walnuts are prized for their chocolate-brown,
fine-grained, and durable wood along with their abundant, nutritious nuts. With deeply furrowed bark
and long, pinnately compound leaves, these native trees are sun-loving, long-living, highly aromatic,
and nearly disease and pest free. When it comes valuable Ohio hardwoods, the Black Walnut is cream
of the (nut) crop!
Participants will submit a nomination for a Black Walnut tree which they believe might be the largest in
the county. After all nominations are submitted, qualified personnel will verify the measurements using
the ODNR Division of Forestry’s Big Tree Program procedures. Each tree will receive a score based on
trunk circumference, crown spread, and total height to determine the winner. In addition, the District
will consider each tree’s ability to capture stormwater along with other economical benefits. For
example, one Black Walnut with a diameter of 45 inches can absorb as much as 6,213 gallons of
stormwater runoff each year.
The objectives of this contest are:
-To engage residents in the recognition, management, and enhancement of our county’s tree
populations
– To showcase the critical roles that trees play in sustaining healthy soil and clean water
– To recognize that each healthy tree in our county reduces flooding and improves water quality
by soaking up stormwater runoff and filtering out pollutants
BIG TREE Contest Guidelines:
– Nominated trees must be Black Walnut trees located in Geauga County.
(Visit the Ohio Division of Forestry’s website forestry.ohiodnr.gov/walnut to review characteristics.)
– Only one nomination per individual tree. The first nomination received will be entered into the
contest.
– The tree does not have to be on the property of the nominator; however, permission from the
landowner must be obtained prior to nomination.
– Nominations must be submitted to Geauga SWCD no later than Friday, July 31
at 3:30 pm.
Please email to gprunty@geaugaswcd.com or submit in person or through the mail to the
Geauga Soil and Water Conservation District, PO Box 410, 14269 Claridon-Troy Road, Burton,
OH 44021.
– Qualified District personnel will verify all nominated tree measurements and use the tree
benefits calculator (treebenefits.com/calculator/) to provide the stormwater runoff reduction
capability. The decision of the District will be final.
– Geauga County’s Biggest Tree will be recognized and awarded at the District’s Annual Meeting
in the fall. If on public land, the biggest tree on private land will also be recognized.
For more information contact Geauga SWCD at geaugaswcd.com, 440-834-1122, or prunty@geaugaswd.com.
