Find a tall stick. That and one good eye are all the tools you’ll need. With the stick in hand, walk exactly 11 paces from the base of the tree and mark the spot by driving the stick into the ground.

The tallest tree in the world, a California redwood, stands 379 feet (116 m) tall, or slightly taller than a football field is long. Redwoods of the past that have since been cut down probably stood ...