In BPY’s unique outdoor classroom, the seventh grade scientists have been learning about measuring a tree’s biomass. This week, the students went outside to the forest to learn how to calculate how much carbon is stored in the BPY trees. After choosing a tree to measure, students learned to identify the tree species, distinguish between hardwood and softwood, measure the trunk and learn how to calculate the quantity of stored carbon. Using the circumference of the trunk, they learned to calculate the diameter, solve for the biomass using a standard allometric equation and finally determine the amount of carbon in the tree.