Schools Are ForestsPrintable Field Sheet
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Schools Are Forests
schoolsareforests.org
Tree Inventory
Field Data Sheet
School
Date
Session code(6 characters)
Zone(letter)
Group number
Student name(s)
📋

Fill in one row per tree. Use the protractor clinometer (back of this sheet) to measure height. Measure trunk at 1.3 m from the ground (diameter tape reads diameter directly; regular tape: divide cm by π = 3.14). For crown, measure the widest point end-to-end. Health: H = healthy, S = stressed, D = dead/dying. Multi-stem tree? Fill in the first stem in the tree's row, then use the rows immediately below for the extra stems — write only the trunk Ø and leave all other columns blank. Mark those extra rows with "↑ stem" in the Notes column.

#Species
Latin or common		Height
(m)		Crown Ø
(m)		Trunk Ø
(cm at 1.3m)		Health
H / S / D		📷
Photo		Notes
1
H / S / D
circle one
2
H / S / D
circle one
3
H / S / D
circle one
4
H / S / D
circle one
5
H / S / D
circle one
6
H / S / D
circle one
7
H / S / D
circle one
8
H / S / D
circle one
Health codes
H – Healthy: full canopy, no visible disease
S – Stressed: sparse leaves, discoloration, damage
D – Dead / dying
Trunk measurement
Measure trunk at 1.3 m height (DBH)
If using a regular tape → circumference
Diameter = Circumference ÷ 3.14
Crown measurement
Stand at drip edge of canopy
Measure widest point, end to end
Record in metres
Schools Are Forests · schoolsareforests.orgEnter data at schoolsareforests.org/student
Schools Are Forests
schoolsareforests.org
Protractor Clinometer
Build & Use Guide
ABuild the clinometer
You need
  • 📐 Protractor (clear plastic preferred)
  • 🥤 Drinking straw
  • 🪡 String (~25–30 cm long)
  • 🪙 Small weight — nut, washer, or paperclip
  • 🩹 Tape (masking or clear)
  1. 1
    Tape the straw along the flat straight edge of the protractor (the 0°–180° line). This is your sight.
  2. 2
    Thread the string through the small hole at the center of the protractor's straight edge.
  3. 3
    Tie a knot on the back so the string won't pull through.
  4. 4
    Tie the weight to the free end. It must hang freely.
  5. 5
    Test: hold it horizontal — the string should hang straight down and read 90°.
Sight along hereweightEye here🌲 Tree topRightangleString
BMeasure tree height
  1. 1
    Stand back from the tree until you can see the very top. Measure and note your distance to the trunk (D).
  2. 2
    Look through the straw at the very top of the tree. Let the string hang freely.
  3. 3
    Have a partner read the number where the string crosses the protractor — that is your angle of elevation (α). Write it down.
  4. 4
    Enter D, your eye height, and α into the app — it calculates the tree height automatically.
Formula
Height = D × tan(α) + eye height
Example: α = 35°, D = 8 m, eye height = 1.2 m → tree ≈ 6.8 m
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