We decorate them, heat our homes with the wood from them, frame barns and houses with them, birds and animals seek shelter in them, and now it’s time to start searching them! What are they? Oh yes, TREES! Not just any tree, the wonderful Eastern White Pine! We are looking for the LARGEST white pine here in Wayne County! So, keep your eyes open… be on the lookout, and get that tape measure ready! We decided on the Eastern White Pine for a few reasons… first to give everyone a good head start. As a Conifer, the EWP tree keeps their needs all year long (also known as evergreen trees). However; Cedar, Spruce, Fir, Cypress, Hemlock and Pine are all evergreen conifers, so please make sure you know you have an Eastern White Pine. One sure telltale sign of the EWP is the needles – they have clusters of five , and the pine needles are bundles together at the base of the cluster. Spruce and Fir needles grow individually on the branch. Another reason we picked the Pine, was to spotlight the latest troubles the trees have been dealing with, which is White Pine Needle Damage (WPND). Known as needle blight it is a fungal disease that causes discoloration of needles and premature needle loss. WPND is favored by prolonged periods of wet weather in the spring. We want to educate everyone about this, as well as insects and other threats forests and trees are facing. Big Tree nominations are due July 14^th and the forms and more information can below or stop by our office! We hope you get out and look for that lovely white pine tree! Winning nominator will receive a $25 gift card and the winning tree owner will receive a special plaque.