Everyday Science: Tree Identification

 One science camp activity we did regularly was tree identification. Our church in West Virginia had 50 acres and a huge forested area.  A friend of mine is a forester; Herb came and led hikes through the woods.  Kiddos want to know the names of trees.  I took Botany and Field Botany as an undergrad; however, I learned Botany in the fall, in the Piedmont area of South Carolina.  If the vegetation looks like it’s dead, I’m good!  In the spring or summer?  Not so much.  When I want to teach tree ID, I bring in an expert.  

You want to use tree identification guides for your area.  In Virginia, The Department of Forestry’s Tree Identification website has a ton of guides developed by Virginia Tech, such as this Basic Tree Identification slide deck and  Common Native Trees of Virginia.  This guide, West Virginia Trees, has photos.  WV Forestry has an excellent Spring Tree guide.  

Start locally.  Look for a guided tour.  Local  natural site, such as Crow’s Nest, frequently have trail maps. See if the local park, garden, or arboretum has regular guided walks. 

Look at arboretum websites: Glen Arboretum, Blandy Experimental Farm, or Core Arboretum.  They offer loads of educational materials.  Another suggestion is to tour botanical gardens.  Some such as Clemson’s South Carolina Botanical Garden are free; others can be costly, such as Longwood Gardens.  Smaller parks or natural areas are more likely to focus on native trees, shrubs, and plants.  Larger gardens, such as Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden or Longwood Gardens tend to have more exotic trees, plants, and flowers.  If your goal is to learn the names of trees, plants, and shrubs nearby, smaller sites are usually better.  

One difficulty is that many trees in your neighborhood are likely cultivated.  In our backyard are two Paulownia trees, which are not native and were planted by the previous owner.    We planted a plum tree in the from yard. It’s showy.   Beyond our fence are some natives: dogwoods, pine, and tulip poplar.  There are oak, maple, and magnolias in the woods nearby.  We live in a highly populated area and still have parks nearby.  I’m betting you do, too!

Do you have a budding botanist or horticulturist?  Consider volunteering.  Volunteering at Longwood Gardens is tough!  Other arboretums, such as Blandy make it easy to volunteer. Frequently, these gardens offer summer camps, too.  Like birding, tree and plant identification can become a life-long hobby.  Below are the views from the deck.