The rocks:

A pile of what we call “river rocks” used to stabilize a drainage area. This particular area is mowed grass, so it is irrigated often.

You would expect to find an isopod (also called rolypoly or pillbug), after all there’s one on the International Rock Flipping Day badge.

But what is that with the isopod?

What is that brownish coiled object in the lower right of the photograph?

It is a tiny snail! There’s another with its head out.

It’s blurry, but definitely a snail. Finding snails is amazing in this hot, dry climate.

The snail wasn’t the only one carrying it’s house.

What is the gray object that looks like a small tube of mud? It is moving!

There is some sort of insect larva inside.

I think it is a beetle larva carrying a case. It is most likely a member of the leaf beetle family (Cryptocephalinae). It probably got washed to the drainage area during a recent storm.

Another tiny beetle scurries away.

Mites were common. Here’s a brightly colored one.

Spiders were also abundant. This tiny jumping spider seems to have its eyes on something.

Maybe it was trying to catch one of these Indian house cricket nymphs.I don’t envy any predator that hunts these.

I know I had trouble capturing them with my camera. The springtails that were everywhere were even worse. I never did get a photograph of them.

Finally, I did find some ants. I posted those results at Wild About Ants.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the number of creatures I found. And in addition to finding different kinds, I also learned a little bit more about my neighbors that live under rocks.

Did you flip any rocks this weekend? What did you find?

For more information about the creatures featured here try:

Isopods

Indian house crickets

Jumping spiders

Mites

Snails and raising snails

International Rock Flipping Day is coming up in a few weeks. September 11, 2011 to be exact.

What is International Rock Flipping Day? It is a blog carnival to celebrate all those critters that live under rocks, as well as the naturalist spirit that drives you to look a little deeper.

How do you participate?

Basically you go outside and look under a rock or two. Record what you see by drawing, painting, taking photographs or recording in your nature journal. (If you live where there might be poisonous creatures under there, like scorpions or snakes, you might want to use gloves and/or a bar to flip the rocks.)

When you are done, carefully return the rock to its original position.

Then blog about what you found. out.

I will have more information about more information about where to send your posts as the date approaches. I believe Wanderin’ Weeta will be hosting.

Edit:  Yes, Wanderin’ Weeta is hosting and you can get the full scoop now.

This nonfiction picture book tells the incredible story of the marbled murrelet, a tiny seabird that searches deep in old forests to find a place to nest in a large tree. Once they build the nest, incubate the eggs and the eggs hatch, the parent murrelets fly all the way to the ocean to catch fish for their nestlings. They bring the fish back to the tree, a journey that may be as long as one hundred miles per trip.

The fact that murrelets nest in old-growth trees was only discovered recently, after all who would think of looking for a seabird nesting in a big tree?

Activity:  Investigate what sorts of animals live in a tree in your neighborhood.

Gather:

• notebook
• pencil
• binoculars (if available)
• camera to record observations (if available)
• field guides to help you identify animals

Pick a tree in your yard, or nearby, to study. If you can, try to identify the tree. Go out each day for fifteen minutes. Slowly approach the tree looking for birds and squirrels first. Listen and look through your binoculars. Once you write down all the birds and squirrels that you see in the tree, then get closer and look for insects and spiders. Try to figure out what they are and what they are doing. Do this for one week. Or even better go out in the morning for ten minutes and the evening for ten minutes. Do you find different animals at different times of day?  After you are done, count how many animals use the tree.

Here is a list of some of the animals we found in our desert willow tree, Chilopsis linearis:

We chose the desert willow tree because it flowers most of the summer, supplying nectar and pollen for many visitors.

Some animals that visit the flowers include,

carpenter bees like this one,

honey bees, flies,

green june beetles, hummingbirds,

verdins, and lesser goldfinches.

The lesser goldfinches might be taking nectar, but they also peck around the buds, perhaps looking for insects.

Although many birds perch in the branches to preen,

or to wipe their beaks like this house finch is doing, no birds have ever nested in the willow. Perhaps the foliage is too sparse to provide a good cover for a nest.

A few insects use the leaves for food.

We think these eggs hatched into…

this large caterpillar, which will become a Manduca rustica moth..

Several kinds of birds like the seeds.

The trunk of the tree serves as a home for tiny ants that look for food (forage) around the flowers.

It is likely that the roots provide food for insects too, such as cicada grubs.

Of course, all the insects that feed on the willow may also serve as food for other animals. I suspect the verdins and the hummingbirds both feed on the small flies that are attracted to the flowers.

It seems like a whole community of animals depend on our desert willow for their livelihood.

How many animals do you think you will find on your tree?

If you try this project, we’d love to hear what you discover.

Using a special artificial flower and a high speed camera, researchers have been able to record some incredible shots.

Look at that tongue, it is acting like a mop.

For more about the video, see this report at Wired magazine.

Hummingbirds use these incredible tongues to catch small flying insects, as well.

These shiny black beetles are common in the Southwest. They are called a number of different names, such as desert stink beetles, clown beetles, pinacate beetles, and headstanding beetles.

Why would a beetle stand on its head? Why is it called a stink beetle?

It stands on its head probably for two reasons. Eleodes beetles are the skunks of the insect world. They can spray nasty chemicals from their rear, the tip of their abdomen. By assuming the posture, like a head standing spotted skunk, they are warning predators that they are about to spray. If the predator continues to advance, they are in position to do the most amount of damage with their spray.

The business end of an Eleodes beetle.

You might also notice the hard wing covers, or elytra. They are fused shut and the beetles are not able to fly.

What do they eat? The adults scavenge plant and animal debris. The larvae are a type of wireworm. They live mostly underground and feed on plant material. The adults also stay underground during the heat of the day.

In an effort to show you the spotted skunk doing its head stand for comparison, I found this video from the BBC.  It shows a spotted skunk against an urban backdrop, with dancers mimicking its motions. Note:  At one point the one of the actors is spraying graffiti and seems to spray the skunk. It is a statement about spraying chemicals, and the result of film editing, but it might be disturbing to small children. Also, this video has a pop-up ad.

It is pretty amazing how both the beetle and the spotted skunk have similar behaviors.

Have you ever seen a beetle or a spotted skunk standing on their heads? Or maybe I shoud say hand standing?

For example, there will virtual assembly on Wednesday, October 27 with cinematographer Andy Casagrande.  Your children can submit questions about his work and/or great white sharks. You need to hurry though, because question submissions are only open through October 14. Then sign up for the assembly. You might want to check the educator’s page for photos, videos and worksheets, as well.

Accompanying the series is a children’s book, Great Migrations:  Whales, Wildebeests, Butterflies, Elephants, and Other Amazing Animals on the Move by Elizabeth Carney.

Great Migrations contains the dramatic, stunning photographs you have come to expect from National Geographic. Each animal is given a four page spread. The first two pages are amazing scenes in vibrant color. The second two pages are facts about the migrations those animals take that includes a map of the region where the animals occur (geography lesson).

I do have one caveat. The font on these informational pages jumps around drastically in color and size, even within a paragraph. While this is eye-catching from a design point of view, on the other hand it is a real challenge for beginning and struggling readers to follow.

If you are going to watch the series and want to have a reference on hand to emphasize points or delve a bit further into details, then this book could be a useful tool. It will be sure to get children interested in learning more.

There is also an adult book, Great Migrations by K. M. Kostyal, which I haven’t seen yet.

This trailer to give you an idea what the series is like:

Isn’t that stunning?

Note: Like in this trailer, I’m sure there will be some scenes of predators capturing prey, so it may not be suitable for young or highly-sensitive children.

More information:

Great Migrations: Whales, Wildebeests, Butterflies, Elephants, and Other Amazing Animals on the Move

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 48 pages
Publisher: National Geographic Children’s Books (October 12, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1426307004
ISBN-13: 978-1426307003

and

Great Migrations by K. M. Kostyal

During autumn the attention of the children should be attracted to the leaves by their gorgeous colors. It is well to use this interest to cultivate their knowledge of the forms of leaves of trees; but the teaching of the tree species to the young child should be done quite incidentally and guardedly. If the teacher says to the child bringing the leaf, “This is a white oak leaf,” the child will soon quite unconsciously learn that leaf by name.

~Anna Botsford Comstock, “How to Begin Tree Study” in Handbook of Nature Study

And with these words of wisdom, let’s start the 50th edition of the Festival of the Trees:  Through a Child’s Eyes.

What better way to introduce children to the wonders of trees than a gentle walk in the woods?

In Trees, JSK at Anybody Seen My Focus? takes us on a beautiful walk through Fort Yargo State Park in Barrow County, Georgia.

At the Handbook of Nature Study blogspot, Barb has a list of ways to train your senses during Summer Tree Observations. We often forget our senses of touch, hearing and smell when walking in the woods, and children can definitely benefit from using all their senses to explore trees. Barb’s blogspot has lovely nature sounds that play automatically when you visit.

Once a child has developed an interest in trees, you might want to explore the life cycle of a tree. How do trees get there? How do trees make seeds?

Welcome to Mike at Slugyard, who introduces us to how a walnut sprouts in Where do trees come from? How lucky to be able to find a seedling from a nut the squirrels hadn’t eaten.

We discovered ash samaras in our yard last week, and learned about ash trees.

Your children might want to try sprouting some of their own seeds. Vikki’s Veranda has a post about How to grow a cherry tree from seed as well.

Anna Comstock was an artist as well as writer and naturalist, and she recommended classifying leaves according to color and form and “thus train the eye to discriminate tints and color values.” Art, trees and children go together naturally.

There are a number of art projects in the chapter on trees in the Handbook of Nature Study. You can download the book here. (Remember that this book was written near the turn of the last century and many things have changed. For example, in the instructions on how to make a leaf print, there is no need to dilute the printers ink with gasoline. Yikes!)

In Art through a kid’s eye, Kimber at A Journey in Creativity blog shows us a page from her niece’s altered book project where she has done some torn paper collage trees. Altered books are a terrific way to re-purpose old books.

Making bark rubbings incorporates both art and science, and is a great excuse to get outdoors to play around with trees.

Hold a piece of paper firmly against a tree trunk and rub back and forth. You can use crayon or charcoal.

While children are experiencing the tough, rough feel of bark, it is a chance to explain how the delicate cambium lives just under the bark and how removing or damaging the bark can kill a tree. Doesn’t seem possible that something so tough could be so fragile.

Children can also explore trees through reading, writing, and storytelling.

In his ode to Trees, Joyce Kilmer said:
I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree….

Regardless of that sentiment, trees inspire poetry. Encourage your children to read and write poems about trees.

Dave Bonta has translated the poem To a Child in a Tree, by Jorge Teillier at Via Negativa. The poem is a celebration of tree climbing (More about that in the next section).

Kristine O’Connell George reads from her book of poems Old Elm Speaks at this link on her website.

Carol at Where will you journey to? reminds us that trees inspire stories and tales, such as the adventures of Winnie the Pooh in the Hundred Acre Woods. She repeats a fascinating tale her husband dreamed when he was young called the woodcutter.

Our own list of books about trees for children reflects our passion for nonfiction books. Reading books is always an adventure.

For an even bigger adventure, how about tree climbing and tree forts? Anna Botsford Comstock once climbed a tree during recess at her school and then refused to come down when she felt her teacher treated her unfairly. A few years later she was teaching at that school herself.

Caro at Caro & Co. has a celebration of sweet gum trees and a humorous report of tree climbing at Love me, love my conkers – Plants kids can play with #2.

Jade Blackwater grabs our attention with a fabulous childhood activity in The Making of Good Tree Forts at Brainripples. She has many good tips about creating a tree fort and what to do if you don’t have a backyard full of appropriate trees. Brings back fond memories, doesn’t it?

For more fun ideas of things to do outside, Emily has links to several kid-oriented nature organizations at The Maine Family: Outside

.

Finally, a way to excite children about trees that doesn’t require going outside is to brainstorm a list of all the foods that come from trees, and then have a tree-inspired snack. Here’s a short list to get you started:

• maple syrup
• apples
• peaches
• pears
• cherries
• walnuts
• pecans
• hickory nuts
• dates
• carob
• chocolate
• mesquite (use the beans to make flour)
• saguaro fruit
• cinnamon
• lemons
• oranges
• mulberries
• persimmons

I’ll bet you can list many more.

Here’s a recipe for Bread from Trees.

Can you guess all the ingredients that come from trees?

In a large bowl combine:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

In a separate bowl mix:
2/3 cup maple syrup, or to taste
1/2 cup warm decaffeinated coffee*
1 1/3 cup pitted, snipped dates (May substitute chopped dried apricots)
1 cup apples, peeled, cored and grated
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 egg beaten
2 Tablespoons melted butter or margarine

Add moist ingredients to the dry ones, and stir until just moistened. Pour into a 9” by 5” by 3” greased loaf (bread) pan. Bake at 350° F for 60 to 65 minutes.

*Please ask an adult to assist with preparing or heating the coffee

Enjoy!

And Jade just sent me a link to a wonderful Plum Cake recipe from Amid the Olive Trees. Looks scrumptious.

It turns out the next Festival of the Trees host, Peg at  Orchards Forever has chosen the theme “edible trees.” If you write about one of these wonderful trees, send links to Peg at amberapple [at] gmail [dot] com by August 29.

A special “thank you” to everyone who participated.

I. What is a tree?

Most of us recognize a big tree when we see one, but sometimes it may be hard to tell whether a plant is a large shrub or a small tree. What do you think? Brainstorm and write down all the words you use to describe a tree.

One definition might be “a tree is a perennial, woody plant that grows to at least 20 feet tall and has an erect (straight up) main stem.” Talk about what that means and if all the trees you know will fit this definition. Can you think of something more? Let us know what you decide.

II. Why study trees?

Trees are so important. Can you think of a list of benefits of trees? Here’s just a few we thought of:

• shade (really important in Arizona!)
• food and shelter for wildlife
• rubber
• paper and paper products
• source of wood products such as furniture, houses, pencils, musical instruments
• food for us
• fuel for heating
• medicines such as aspirin and quinine
• produce oxygen
• conserve water
• reduce pollution

Can you add to this list? Do some research to find more benefits of trees.

III. External parts of a Tree

Vocabulary:

• bark
• trunk
• crown
• leaf/needle
• branches
• roots
• twigs
• nuts
• fruit
• flowers
• buds

Make index cards with each of these names (make sure you have at least one card for each child participating.) Punch holes in the cards with a hole punch.  Cut pieces of yarn of various lengths. Find a tree outside and have the children attach the cards to the correct parts with pieces of yarn – a fun way to decorate a tree. Take extra cards and draw any parts that are missing, such as flowers, nuts or fruit. Add those to the tree where they might be found. Older children can discuss the function of each of the parts, such as roots hold up the tree (support) and bring water into the tree. (Scissors speed up card removal when you are finished.)

Sketching trees is a good way to learn the shape of different kinds. Claire Walker Leslie has an excellent guide to sketching trees (click on the Guide to Tree Sketching resource to download a .pdf file). Sketch a tree and label the parts if you can’t go outside.

IV. How Trees Grow – The Internal Parts of a Tree

See if you can find a “tree cookie,” a cross-sectional piece of wood through a tree trunk. These are often available at craft stores. Those with the bark still on are the best.

Internal parts of a tree:

• cambium – layer of active cells that divide to form inner bark and sapwood
• sapwood
• xylem – water carrying elements (in sapwood)
• phloem-food carrying elements (inner bark)
• heartwood

Look at the tree cookie and see how new rings are added each year. Explain how the tree only grows from the cambium and cutting it (for example by carving initials on a living tree), damages its ability to grow and live. A fun demonstration of how a tree grows might be to add layers of clothes to a doll or person, to show how the tree expands by adding layers. See if you can tell how old the tree that made the tree cookie was when it was cut down by counting the rings. (More information on internal parts).

We’ll continue with more activities next week. Until then, here are two sources of more information about trees:

Illinois Department of Natural Resources has  lesson plans in .pdf format

Arbor Day Foundation has education links and online games.

Hope you enjoy our celebration of tees this month. If you have any suggestions for activities or websites, please let us know.

First of all, I am sad because this year my parents decided to log the small woods that is on their property. They knew I wouldn’t be happy, so they didn’t let it slip until it was already done. And they were right. I felt loss for the walnuts and oaks who had been standing since as long as I can remember. I miss them.

Arbor day also reminds me of the story of Herbie the elm tree, which is a poignant one. Rambling Woods has a good summary of the Herbie story.

Maybe I miss the trees more because here in the desert trees are small and shrubby. A big tree is a rare and beautiful sight.

In any case, a book that came in the mail this week struck a chord with me.

I will say up front that this is an adult book, it is not written for children.

Keepers of the Trees:  A Guide to Re-Greening North America by Ann Linnea has the details right. It is printed on recycled wood-free paper.

Linnea writes about the stories of fourteen men and women who are dedicated to conserving trees, including herself. She includes people from a diversity of outlooks, races, genders, lifestyles and backgrounds, all brought together by their love of trees.

The author has a compelling writing style and sets just the right tone. The book isn’t preachy or heavy-handed at all. Basically, it is about the people and their work.

People like Corella Payne, who researches public health issues such as asthma for her job, and then volunteers as a Treekeeper for public parks during her off hours. Corella sees the link between being outside with nature, and overall health and well-being.

The story of Merve the logger stands out in my mind because of my recent experiences. Merve has been selectively and sustainably logging the same spot in Canada for years. Although he has removed the same amount of timber that he would have gotten if he had simply clear cut, the forest remains in place, still viable and diverse. He respects the soil, leaves natural drainage systems intact and tries to take trees that are mostly at the end of their natural life cycle. Inspiring!

The layout of Keepers of the Trees is visually appealing, with many color photographs and figures. In the back is a list of practical things that you can do if you are interested in “tree-keeping.” Suggestions include planting a tree, adopting a tree, and mentoring a child.

I think I will take up that suggestion to mentor a child by taking my son to see another cork oak I found out about recently. Seems like the right thing to do on Arbor Day.

And if you are interested in helping a child learn more about trees, check my review of the Leaf and Tree Guide at Wrapped in Foil.

Edit: Tricia has a fabulous list of children’s books about trees at The Miss Rumphius Effect.

What are you doing for Arbor Day?

Please read the disclosure page for information about my affiliation with Amazon. Book was provided by publisher.

The newest carnival is up at Treeblog.

If nothing else, go see the fantastic photographs Ash found on Flickr.