The Big Tree Hunt contest has come to a close. What did participants find?

After two years of collecting entries, non-profit ReLeaf announced winners of their Big Tree Hunt this fall in a well-attended ceremony.

Awards were given to the biggest tree of each county, the largest white pine—Michigan’s state tree—the largest find by someone 16 years or younger, and the largest find of anyone over the age of 16.

Event chair Lindsay Lights says this year there were over 500 submissions from 76 counties across Michigan. Some of the counties that didn’t submit had been hit hard by an ice storm last March that devastated forests.

The biggest tree recorded was a weeping willow in Shiawassee county, submitted by Kathy Briggerman. It measured 327 inches around its trunk—that’s 27 feet.

New champions?

Several entries were impressive enough to be potential state champions—the biggest recorded trees of their species. ReLeaf sent 16 tree submissions to the Michigan Botanical Society for review.

If those measurements are verified, some may even be inducted into the National Register of Champion Trees. Michigan currently boasts seven national champions, but Lights notes the state used to have over 20. 

The Big Tree Register uses a point system, calculating circumference, height, and crown spread to find out what trees qualify.

Roots in community engagement

The Big Tree Hunt draws people for different reasons. Some want to share a story, some just love trees, and some are most interested in what Lights calls the citizen science aspect: “Some people just like to see how big a red oak can get.”

All have a passion for trees.

“There’s a lot of people who care about trees as our source of oxygen, our source of wood products, it’s not going away,” reflects Lights. “We gotta protect them and keep the awareness on this. The big trees can just kind of open that door to caring about trees in general.”

Lights notes that she’s still looking for sponsors to keep the hunt going and improve upon its programming. The hunt continues in the spring of 2026, when ReLeaf will kick off the seventeenth cycle of the two-year contest.

Note: This story originally aired in late December.