As the girls arrived, each Patrol was asked to make two lists - one of products made from trees and forests, and the other of jobs related to or that rely on trees and forests. We then had our usual opening and played an active game before discussing the lists. In addition to what the girls had listed, we added some more unusual items and jobs that might not be considered such as medicines, fishing, road building, cooking, tape, cosmetics, and clean water.
We then talked about identifying Coniferous and Deciduous trees.
Coniferous Trees
- Are sometimes called evergreens
- Grow upwards and tend to have a triangular shape
- Leaves are long, pointed needles or small, flat scales and stay on the tree for several years before gradually falling off
- Seeds grow in cones, when the cone opens its scales, the seeds fall out.
- There are 500 species worldwide, but only 34 grow in Canada (i.e. Fir, Spruce, Pine)
- Spread out as they grow and tend to have a more rounded shape
- Broad, flat leaves that catch a lot of light; leaves fall off in the winter as there isn't enough warmth for them to survive
- Most seeds are protected by a hard nutshell or fruit
- Many species (i.e. Oak, Maple)
- Boreal Forest
- About 80% of Canada's forests, runs east from the Rocky Mountains and the border with Alaska across the country to northern Newfoundland
- Mostly coniferous trees, but some deciduous - i.e. Aspen, Willow
- Home to caribou, lynx, cougars, bears and more than 300 species of birds
- Subalpine Forest
- Runs from the coast of BC, across the Rocky Mountains and into western Alberta
- Coniferous trees - i.e. White Spruce, Black Spruce, Trembling Aspen
- Montane Forest
- Covers the central plateau of BC and valleys near the Alberta border.
- Mix of coniferous and deciduous trees - i.e. Blue Douglas Fir, Lodgepole Pine, Trembling Aspen, White Spruce
- Coast Forest
- Runs along the Pacific coast of BC
- Almost all coniferous trees - i.e. Western Red Cedar, Douglas Fir, Sitka Spruce
- Columbia Forest
- Covers southeastern BC between the Rocky Mountains and the central plateau
- Mainly coniferous trees - i.e. Western Red Cedar, Western Hemlock, Western Red Pine
- Carolinian Forest
- Covers southwestern Ontario between Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario (where we live!)
- Mainly deciduous trees, but also some conifers - i.e. Beech, Sugar Maple, White Elm, Red Oak, Black Walnut, Tulip Tree
- Great Lakes/St Lawrence Forest
- Runs from the Great Lakes and the St Lawrence River to southeastern Manitoba
- Both coniferous and deciduous trees - i.e. Eastern White Pine, Yellow Birch, Oak
- Acadian Forest
- Covers the Maritime provinces
- Many species of both coniferous and deciduous trees - i.e. Red Spruce, Balsam Fir, Yellow Birch, Maple, Red and White Pine
We then used the same cards to play 'Tree Circle' (a Tree version of the 'Fruit Salad' game). The cards were placed on the ground and each girl stood behind one, with one girl in the middle. When one or more trees were called out, those girls had to change places, with the girl in the middle trying to get a place as well. The difference in this game is that the cards stayed in place, so the girls changed trees as well as places, which helped them become familiar with different trees.
Next we spent some time discussing forest enemies and the impacts of habitat loss. As well as looking at some of the ways people have a negative impact, we also looked at some ways people can have a positive impact on forests.
The final activity of the evening was the creation of artwork inspired by trees and forests.
