Champion+Trees+at+the+Natural+Research+Center

On Tuesday, January 9th, I visited the Natural Research Center where the Audubon Society meeting was held. When I first arrived I did not expect as big of a crowd but after listening to Mr. Gary Williamson speak, I understood just why they had such a big turn out. I was taught just exactly what it meant for a tree to be a champion tree and where the local champion trees were located. We were shown several beautiful images of different trees in states such as South Carolina, Virginia, and North Carolina. One tree that stood out the most was the tree called "Big Mama" who recently died and fell over. When this sad event occurred, Mr. Gary's picture of his partner and Big Mama was featured on the front of a News Paper Article in Virginia. I think the most interesting part of the event was hearing the different members of the society grow with sadness when Big Mama's death was talked about. This was definitely an event that was outside of my comfort zone but looking back, I truly enjoyed the experience. This related to Environmental Science because trees are a valuable part of the Earth. They are responsible for producing oxygen and removing carbon dioxide and contaminants from the air.