Yesterday we started our Adopt-a-tree program. Each student chose and named a tree, followed by some observations and drawings. Today we arrived at school to find one of the trees in front of the school was being cut down. It was Conor’s adopted tree named Tilily!
The district employee allowed us to come outside to see what Tilily looked like inside. We talked about the difference between a healthy tree and a dead tree, and shared our observations. Rob, the district arborist, even cut each student a “tree cookie” as a memento! We enjoyed watching them cut the trunk and branches into smaller pieces and get hauled away. All that’s left of Tilily now is a hole and wood shavings. We had a mini “Funeral” for few moments upstairs where we said thank you to the tree for its air-cleaning, shade, branches and beauty.
We then learned how to “read” our tree cookies and examined and identified the outer bark, phloem, cambium, sapwood, growth rings and heartwood. Lots of great discussions around seasons of growth and beetle damage too.
Such a neat opportunity!
