Historic Phippsburg giant featured in book ‘Big Trees of Northern New England’

The oldest European linden tree in the state of Maine is located at Phippsburg Congregational Church. Kevin Martin photo

As Mainers prepare to hibernate for the winter, idle time spent by the fire could be used to plot your outdoor springtime adventures. Encouraging people to “get outside more,” author Kevin Martin, 67, has mapped out a tree scavenger hunt for all ages in his new book, “Big Trees of Northern New England.”

The cover of “Big Trees of Northern New England,” by Kevin Martin. Image contributed by Kevin Martin

Readers will find over 50 trails for hiking, biking and boating that lead to over 150 of the largest trees located on public land in Maine, New Hampshire, northern Massachusetts and Vermont.

Two famous trees from Maine appear in the book: an English linden in Phippsburg and a hemlock in Portland.

The English linden tree was planted in 1774 across from Phippsburg Congregational Chruch, next to the grave of Maine’s first congressman, Mark Langdon Hill, according to the church website.

In 2014, the tree measured 208 inches around, 98 feet tall and 75 feet for crown spread (branch length).

Working as a boat builder for 40 years, Martin said his longstanding relationship with timber helped ignite his initial interest in big trees. He said after moving to Epping, New Hampshire, alongside a river, he began locating, identifying and measuring trees on hikes with his children.

What started as a hobby turned into a passion. The two-time published author began working alongside tree biologists and foresters to help enter local trees into the Big Tree Program — a national registry for the largest trees in the U.S.

Maine is 90% forest and has over 140 listings on the national big tree registry. Information about Maine’s own Register of Big Trees can be found at bit.ly/3hu5nJO.

Realizing times have changed and technology has turned many into couch potatoes, Martin hopes his book will get people outside again.

“I’m hoping younger people will get back out into the woods, instead of being on their devices,” Martin said.

“Big Trees in Northern New England” can be found on amazon.com and most local bookstores.