How Tall Is That Tree? Pettengill Woods Trail Field Day

You don't have to climb to the top of a tree with your measuring tape to find out the approximate height of it! All you need is a pencil (you can use a stick if you don't have a pencil), a partner to help you, and a long measuring tape.

1. Stand far away from the tree facing it. Hold your arm straight out and your pencil straight up and walk toward the tree until it looks like it is the same size as your pencil.

2. Keeping your arm straight out in front of you, turn your pencil to a horizontal position so that one end appears to be touching the base of the tree.

3. Have your partner stand alongside the tree far enough away from the tree so that they appear to be standing on the other end of the pencil.

4. Mark where your partner is standing. Measure the distance from there to the base of the tree with your measuring tape. That measurement will be the tree's height.