Noticing Nature
Understand the importance of trees to the surrounding nature and see how wildlife uses trees in numerous ways.
Do you know why trees have rings inside the tree trunk like this image?
Each tree ring tells us how many years the tree has been alive and been helping the planet with carbon fixing. For example, 10 rings tells us that a tree has been around for ten years.
Action Time
Are you ready for a bingo in nature? Look at the Bingo Cards below or download them.
Go for a walk in nature and take a photo of each one out there.
Send us the pictures by email to see if you can complete the Bingo.
1. Tree stump: Students need to find a tree stump just like in the photo (with visible rings) which shows how long the tree was there before it was cut down. Also think why it may have been cut down.
2. Bird nest: Find a bird nest in a tree. Besides helping us to breathe, a tree can help house animals such as birds as well.
3. Traces of animals in and around trees and plants: This could be some footprints, a burrow or a hole in a tree where animals may live.
4. Mushrooms: Find mushrooms growing on their own or out of a fallen tree, Mushrooms are important to the environment as they recycle and redistribute carbon.
5. Insects: In and around the leaves of the tree. Trees are important to many kinds of insects as a home, or food, or both.
6. Flowers, fruit, or seeds: Students should look for signs of the plant life cycle, whether they are flowers, fruit, seed pods, or cones as they all can feed the wildlife in the forest.
7. Trees with needles and trees with leaves: Some trees have needles and some have leaves, they are used by trees to get energy from sunlight.
8. Trees with different kinds of bark: Bark may be smooth or rough and can be as different as the leaves are from one tree to the next. Barks can also house insects that birds eat or some barks are eaten by animals.
9. Saplings or young trees: Find some younger trees and look at their leaves to see that they are the same as an older one.
