Kid's Korner

Meet a Tree

It is always fun to get acquainted with your neighbors and then share good times with them throughout the year. Meet the best neighbors in the world-the trees that live in your yard, in the neighborhood, or even in a nearby park. Make a list with your family of all the wonderful things trees do for us and for the animals that live in them. Do your tree homework to learn the different parts of a tree and their functions. Which part of the tree makes the food?  How does a tree get a drink? How does the water and food get to the rest of the tree? Why do the leaves change colors in the fall?

After completing all this “homework” get outside and meet a tree!  Take along a tree field guide to identify these amazing neighbors!

Look and find:

• The largest tree you can. How many people does it take to reach around the largest tree you can find?
• Two or more different tree seeds
• The oldest leaf you can
• A dead tree with a mushroom on it
• Smooth bark
• Listen for any  sound made by trees
• Two or more different tree smells-scratch or crush leaves or twigs
• The tallest tree you can see
• A tree that is smaller than you
• Your favorite tree
• Is your tree young, grown up or old?
• Can you reach the lowest branch?
• What shape is your tree?
• Plants growing under or on your tree-moss, lichen, mushrooms, grass
• Insects, birds, and other animals on your tree
• Animal homes in your tree
• Will your tree lose its leaves this fall?

If you could interview your tree, what questions would you like to ask it?

Write a poem or a story about your tree. Send it to me and we can share it with all the other tree lovin’ friends. My email is srussell@chattanature.org

Come enjoy the outdoors with us!