Track signs of spring for a meaningful look at seasonal change
Did you know? The oranges, yellows, and reds gracing the tips of branches this time of year aren’t leaf buds - they’re flowers!
Are you and your students really making a connection between botany lessons and what is going on in the world?
Chances are you know that all trees flower, but you may not have stopped to think about what that means and get a good look at some of them. That makes it likely that despite your family’s playmaking in the outdoors, your kids aren’t thinking about it either. And that means you’re all missing out on seeing a lot of cool, crazy-looking flowers – especially now in the springtime, when leaves don’t hide them!
As a passionate observer of plants and animals in my middle-aged years, I feel that I should admit that I did not fully appreciate that ALL trees have flowers until I was in my mid-20s. My family spent a lot of time outside together, in school I learned about plant parts and that fruit trees had flowers, and I saw colors pop up on trees in the springtime. But I didn’t really get it until I was in my first job as a research technician in the Duke Forest in North Carolina. I remember the day very clearly.
My fellow research tech and I were measuring the growth of trees in April, and when I called out the size of a maple tree he said, “Is it flowering? We need to know for the maples.” “….What?” I thought, looking up into the canopy, “I’ve never seen a flower on a maple tree. I just see a bunch of bare branches, nothing out here flowering…” “Maple trees flower in the spring before leaf-out,” he said, “Look for the red at the tips of the branches - those are the flowers.” Yes, the maple tree I was staring at did in fact have flowers on it. My mind was utterly blown.
I’d probably be more embarrassed about sharing if I didn’t know that this happens to a LOT of people.
Early spring is a fabulous time to help your learners appreciate diversity of form and function among plants. Put some flagging tape around some different trees and make a habit to check in on them every week throughout the year. Is your tree coming out of winter slumber? Does it have flowers? Leaves? Fruit? You don’t even have to know what species the trees are when you get started, and that can make it even more exciting. You can start with making hypotheses based on the leaf litter and seeds lying around the base of the tree. Then, as your tree begins “waking up,” you will be able to look at its flowers and leaves to help you identify it. This process will make its identifying features stick in your (student’s) memory that much more clearly.
The Resources section on our website can take you to some fun citizen science projects. One we love for appreciating the passage of seasons is Budburst. Check out our whys and hows for getting started with Budburst - an initiative with K12 and family resources to help you or your young ones study the seasonal cycles of plants (and pollinators) and contribute your observations to scientific research! www.explorenaturebynurture.com/citizen-science