Big Tree Byron

Conservationists have been doing hard work for many years to preserve nature, and the backbone of these projects are the volunteers who go out of their way to protect the environment. 

Byron Carmean is one of those volunteers. He works with Virginia Big Trees, a registry for large tree species in the region. 

“There was some concern at the time that all of the large trees in the country were being cut down, and there'd be nothing left…They thought that if we could recognize the largest trees in the country, at least those trees would be protected.”

Byron’s journey started when he was young, with his childhood adventures into the woods near his home. An overcup that he remembered from those days actually became one of the trees that he helped document.

“When I became an adult and got interested in looking for plant mapping, in Virginia, I looked at the atlas of the Virginia flora, and it turned out that overcup oak had never been documented for that county.”

Virginia Big Trees occasionally learns about trees worthy of registering through leads from landowners, but often they aren’t quite large enough to fit the bill. Volunteers have more success exploring the state and hunting for big trees in unexpected places. 

“I get excited about an area and I want to explore it more. Sometimes I'll drive somewhere that's new, and I'll see an area that looks very promising for large trees.”

A film by Josh Wingard.

Produced by Kendahl Huber.