Relative to humans, most tree species live a long time. Many of the trees we have personal connections to have been around long before us; some of the oldest trees have been here longer than the pyramids of Giza, perhaps even longer than Stonehenge.

It might seem like we couldn’t possibly watch these giants rise and fall during our puny lifetimes, but that’s exactly what the National Register of Big Trees does. And you may be surprised how much the pot is stirred twice each year when the register is released. New champions are crowned, others are dethroned and ties are broken.

That’s why this is one of our favorite times of year here at American Forests, where October means not just cooler weather, crisp apples and changing colors, but also the release of the fall edition of the National Register of Big Trees.

The latest edition of the register recognizes more than 780 national champions, and more than 40 of them are wearing their crown for the first time, including 11 in New York, five in Oregon and one in the District of Columbia, where the trees continue to grow even as parks are shuttered.

The latest release of the register even includes a new mega-tree — a tree with 650 points or more, the largest of the large. With 724 points, Oregon’s California-laurel joins just 14 other trees in this elite group.

Where is the champion of your favorite tree species? What national champions call your state home? You can find the answers to these questions and more by searching the register. And, if these champions inspire you to get more involved in the effort to find, document and protect big trees, you might consider hunting for big trees yourself. There are still 200 species without any representation on the register. Visit our Big Tree section to learn more about how you can nominate trees.