Learn who are the best planters in the world . . . squirrels and birds!
Learn who are the best pollinators . . . bees,
birds, animals, the wind!
Finally and most importantly to collect seeds, nuts or cuttings in season. Plant the seeds, nuts, cuttings (aka the rehabitation of an area)
And/or distribute the seeds to land owners, woodlot owners, friends and family for rehabitation!
Each activity covers one or more of the following objectives:
In this activity, students are encouraged to:
Learn the native species of their area.
Learn the ecosystems that revolve around different species of trees.
Learn the effects of deforestation on:
- animals, birds and fish, both directly and indirectly
- river sediment
- water tables
- flooding
- drought
- temperature rise
- oxygen and carbon dioxide
Click link for instructions on how to plant acorns and chestnuts.
Find self in the universe.
Uniqueness of the earth.
Fragility of life.
Responsibility to protect.
Fragility of life.
Interconnectedness of all things.
Activity #4 Hope Spots
To find hope.
Responsibility to protect.
To make change happen.
Activity #5 Endangered Species
"We will be known forever by the tracks we leave."
~ Dakota
Learn about silviculture and clear cutting.
Learn the difference between reforestation (replanting
of monoculture usually for harvesting) and rehabilitation (preparing an area to sustain life or an ecosystem again).
Learn about the flowering trees and the creation of
seeds, nuts, fruit and catkins.
Learn about male and female trees!
Learn the best propogation methods of native species:
- cuttings
- overwintering (acorns and chestnuts)
- planting the seeds as they fall
Learn how trees disperse their seeds:
- carried on the wind
- carried on fur
- through the eating of fruit and seeds being
deposited . . . already fertilized!!!
- the planting, burying of seeds for future use by squirrels
Hope Spots
Sea Level Rise
Students will be asked to identify by silhouette the endangered species picture. They will be reminded what it means to be an endangered species. The students will then be asked to infer by their adaptation where these species are normally found. With that, they will then be asked to deduce why these species may be endangered and therefore, what can be done to help their numbers recover.
Activity #6 Tweet For Tweets
Activity #1 Going Batty
Post Cards to MLA's,
MP's and PMO
Fragility of life.
Interconnectedness.
Students are encouraged to add their ideas to the UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF EARTH'S RIGHTS and sign it. This will be their call to action!
If you are on this site and reading this material you do not have to be reminded of the devastating loss of the forests of Canada and all over the world but this may surprise you . . . Which Prime Minister made the following statement?
"We are recklessly destroying the timber of Canada."
~ Sir John A. MacDonald
Greed is not a new problem. Neither is it a uniquely Canadian problem. Europe has denuded its continent and now many of its timber companies are here in North America doing the same. Indonesia burns the forests of the Orangutan for palm oil. Some African and South American nations destroy their forests to make way for plantations and ranches.
The human animal, the only animal capable of destroying the forests of this earth, has a hard time remembering that we all . . . every one of us . . . needs trees.
Activity #2 Sea Level Rise
Fragility of life.
Responsibility to protect.
Interconnectedness.
Sea Level Facts . . . much of the Nova Scotia coastline is at sea level as is much of the eastern seaboard, Florida and PEI. Sea level rise is occurring around the world as a result of global warming.
Hug a tree . . . it gives you air to breath!
Activities
Activity #8 Post Cards
Find self in the universe Necessity for peace
Uniqueness of the earth To find hope
Interconnectedness of all things To think circularly
Fragility of life To do peace work
Responsibility to protect To make change happen
Activity #3 Find Yourself in the Universe
Activity #11 Whose Toes Are Those?
The invisible orchard initiative.
"Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul."
~ Emily Dickenson
Responsibility to protect.
To find hope.
To make change happen.
"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt."
~ Margaret Atwood
Uniqueness of the earth.
Interconnectedness of all things.
Fragility of life.
Responsibility to protect.
"To me, trees are living beings and have their own sort of personalities."
~ Dr. Jane Goodall
Extinction is forever . . .
Uniqueness of the earth.
Interconnectedness of all things.
Fragility of life.
Responsibility to protect.
Responsibility to protect.
To do peace work.
To make change happen.
Hope is everywhere. It is important to be reminded that
there are good people, doing good things all around us.
From providing bat houses and bird feeders,
to planting native species, butterfly gardens
and back yard vegetable gardens. Many
dedicated people are involved inanimal
rescue groups, wildlife reserves,
working in re population efforts
and protecting habitat.
ACTIVITY: Students are encouraged to identify Hope Spots locally in their area and then more widely in their province. Once identified, students are asked to 'spot' them with a sticker on the map. Students need to be encouraged to make their home a 'hope spot'.
Materials: sticker dots, local and provincial maps, a list of wildlife reserves and rehabilitation centres etc. in your area.
Uniqueness of the earth.
Interconnectedness of all things.
Fragility of life.
Responsibility to protect.
Responsibility to protect.
To make change happen.
In every seed is an invisible orchard. If you look
closely you can see it. One seed becomes one tree which has many seeds producing many trees and every tree, many thousands of seeds in an extraordinary lifetime. And so, the orchard, the legacy, begins with a single seed.
Planting trees is an exercise in time and patience. It is one of the most poignant gestures of hope for future generations whose thanks we will never hear. For such is the life of a tree that we see its genesis or its zenith, never both. For under normal circumstances, we will not outlive a tree. The trees that give us life, air to breath, soil to grow food, water to make rain and rivers. And more, trees are roosts and rooks, shelter and food for the large and the small. For the thanks of all those who do not speak but cackle and purr and roar. It is for these thanks that we plant invisible orchards.
Activity #9 I Declare!
"If you plant it, they will come."
~ Dr. Karen Ewing
The World Wildlife website has a model template for this exercise. Please click the following :
Activity #13 Invisible Orchards
Activity #12 If You Were A Tree, Who Would You Be?
Activity #10 Who Can Make a Difference?
"You cannot destroy a world and live on it."
~ Derrick Jensen - Author of 'Endgame'
And while you are doing this, remember who you are doing this for . . . the generations to come, generations of caws and coos and purrs and roars . . . and generations of us too!
Responsibility to protect.
Fragility of life.
Interconnectedness.
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens
can change the world . . . indeed it's the only thing that ever has."
~ Margaret Mead
"I am convinced that in spite of everything, humanity is admirable with an
unfailing greatness of spirit and tenacity and benevolence."
~ Jean Giono - Author of 'The Man Who Planted Trees'
Students are encouraged to think about the characteristics they share with a tree, both in terms of physical characteristics and in temperment. Colorful, showy, shy, trembly, sturdy, protective?
They will be asked to look at the shape of a tree, its size, the root system, is the tree deciduous or coniferous, what type of leaf, fruit or flower does it have? Students could be asked "Who lives in this tree, who calls this tree home?"
Students will learn the scientific names of
the trees, whether they are native or an
invasive species to the area and what their role is in carbon sequestration.
Activity #7 Blue Marble Seed Pods
Dogwood Tree
Fragility of life.
Responsibility to protect.
To find hope.
Sea Level Rise
Students will be asked to take a
piece of blue tissue paper. With
a measuring tape, have them mark
the amount of sea level rise on the
tissue paper and then have the
students hold the tissue up to that level on their bodies. Students will
recognize they will be underwater
to that level.
After an explanation has been given
about a storm surge, ask the students
to measure up two meters on the wall. Paste the original blue tissue
above this two meter mark and have
the students stand back to see how
much higher the sea level is.
Materials: measuring tape, blue tissue paper, & tape.
Students are encouraged to draw (or choose a post card)
and write to an MP about earth day, peace, conservation,
polar bears, bats or anything else that they feel needs attention.
Remember, when writing to an MLA, MP or the PMO (or anyone for that matter)
to be respectful, use the proper title someone has earned, be brief and be truthful.
Your message can be printed or handwritten. It's important for you to sign your name.
Students are encouraged to find examples
of bird, mammal, reptile and insect feet & toes and their corresponding tracks.
Students are asked to identify species based on their tracks and to discern the adaptations of the feet & toes of different animal species. An example for birds would be the following:
Count the number of toes, look at the arrangement of the toes, the size of the feet and talons (whether or not they are feathered etc.) All these are clues to help students identify the animal and to help them gain an understanding into how these adaptations help the animal survive their habitat.
This is an activity that will encourage students to
use and/or improve their photography and research skills. It's also an opportunity for students to get involved in hiking and outdoor exploration skills.