Were you able to NAME the 5 trees from our neighborhood? Congrats, if you did; these trees are all common in Gainesville Area. The names of the trees are listed at the bottom of the page.
Trees are a natural resource and supply many things we regularly use: lumber, food (nuts & fruits), paper, and the very oxygen we breathe. Oh! Let's not forget the shade we seek from the Florida sun. Florida's diverse enviroment includes forests, wetlands, tropical and coastal habitats host to a wide variety of trees. Many trees look similar but a closer look sometimes reveals variations in their leaves or other attributes that make them differ. If you studied and did experiments with plants or flora, as it is also termed, you would be called a botanist. However, whether you are a botanist, a tree hugger, a homeowner planning landscape or simply enjoy a walk on a shaded trail, identifying trees is one facet of nature knowledge or it could be a trivia game played with others.
Quick facts about trees:
- All trees begin as a seed.
- Trees help purify the water and prevent erosion.
- Trees help save money on your energy bill and cool the earth.
- Pine trees grow on six of the seven continents (Antarctica is the only continent where pine trees do not grow).
- The Cabbage Palm is Florida's State Tree.
Discover more about trees or cozy up with a child to read stories about trees with selections from the catalog. My longtime favorite children's book is The Giving Tree. A nonfiction title, I mostly enjoyed (a few to many rabbit trails) was The Nature Fix: why nature makes us happier, healthier, and more creative discusses the medicinal benefits of being outdoors. My want to read list includes the subject of forest bathing, "Shinrin-Yoku" a Japanese practice of using all your sense to revitalize yourself in nature. Redwoods by Jason Chin and Trees from Robin Twiddy's series Forest Explorer are both great juvenile reads.
For tips to teach children about trees visit Arborist Now; also consider the aspect of categorizing. Categorizing skills and organizing objects help children to recognize similar features and distinguish differences in details. Differentiating details when learning to read is eminent especially when it comes noticing the slight difference between b and p; activities for children to stregthen sorting and categorinzing skills. One could easily spend a month learning about trees by making a nature journal with drawings, photos, leaf samples (rubbings, identify shapes), explore wildlife dependent on trees and the habitats in which different species of trees grow.
Test your identification skills at a nearby local walking trail:
The Florida Trail offers more rigorous hiking trails as well as volunteer opportuites to maintain the trail.
Names of 5 trees in the order they appear in the photographs: Live Oak (Quercus virginiana), Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), Crepe Myrtle (Lagerstroemia), Cabbage Palm (Sabal Palmetto), Pine Tree (Pinus).