Tree
Survival
Every week scientists and
environmentalists remind us that the environment is in bad shape. One major
area of concern is trees, with around 16 million hectares of forest cleared
every year according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation.
The first trees evolved
between about 400 350 million years ago, 120 million years before the first
dinosaurs. Today there are about 100,000 species of trees in the world.
Activities
Write a list of all of
the products in your home that have come from trees. Are any of these recycled
or recyclable?
Collect various samples from trees to make a botanical display, as if for a
museum, showing the lifecycle of a tree.
Research the various ways Australian native flora germinate.
For example some require fire, others floods or special birds. Display your
findings on a poster.
Design and conduct an experiment showing how seeds grow.
Conduct a survey at the local supermarket to find out how many paper products
are environmentally friendly. Categorise your results
in a table.
List 50 uses for used newspapers. Make a product and promote it to the class.
Collect articles from The Mercury about the environment. Categorise on a billboard under the headings 'Use' and
'Abuse'. At the end of a month write what you have learned about people's use
and abuse of the environment in a letter to the Editor.
Draw an annotated map identifying how products are sourced from trees.
Profile examples of responsible attitudes towards the environment in your
school and community.
In pairs, list the timber resources we use daily in order from least to most
important. Discuss the differences in your answers with the entire class.
Make an artwork about trees using a variety of techniques and materials. For
example a collage of pressed flowers, leaf prints and bark
rubbings.
Trees have evolved fascinating defences against attack, write a short article about their attackers and
their defence strategies, e.g. sticky sap, spines,
nasty tastes, etc.
Write a fairy tale about an enchanted forest.
Look at some of the current schemes for reforestation and tree conservation
and outline your plan to save the forests.
Websites
Tree Anatomy
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/trees-new/text/tree_anatomy.html
A brief, but scientifically sound, look at the anatomy
of the average tree. Looks at the trunk, branches, roots and
a tree's response to wounds.
Methuselah Tree
www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/methuselah
Information on
the Bristlecone pine. Also a good rundown on photosynthesis and dendrochronology- the science of reading tree rings to date
trees and wood.
National Arbor Day
Foundation
www.arborday.org
Although the point of this site is to get
Americans to take part in tree planting over there, it contains a lot of
accessible information on trees and what amazing things they are.
ForestNetWorld.com
www.forestnetworld.com
Sponsor a tree
and get your own web site home page, net based e-mail, and access to
environmental information and news perfect for school projects. There are also
lots of fun puzzles, games, activities and other stuff for children. You can
also follow the progress of your tree and get updates on how you have helped to
rejuvenate native animal habitats.
www.planetark.org
Find out how you
can take part in National Tree Day in July, and get the latest on deforestation
and other environmental news from around the globe.
Federal government initiative to repair environmental damage from things such as landclearing and to restore the natural environment where possible. Find out what is being done and what you can do to help.
The Trees:
Their Natural History
Garden Trees-
Royal Horticultural society guides
Native Trees and Shrubs of South-Eastern
Go take a
look at where trees live. Smell the fresh air. But be careful not to harm the
environment.
Talk to your
local council about tree planting and bush regeneration in your local area.