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Become a Tree Detective!
Put on your detective hat and join Sammy Squirrel on a mission to discover the amazing trees growing all around us!
Trees have lots of clues that can help us identify them. Their leaves, needles, bark, buds, seeds, cones and even their overall shape can tell us what kind of tree they are.
Head outside to your school grounds, garden, local park or woodland and see how many of these clues you can find.
Can you find:
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An evergreen tree
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A deciduous tree
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Two trees with different types of bark
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A tree with needles instead of leaves
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A cone, seed, nut or fruit from a tree
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A tree with leaves bigger than your hand
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A tree that is home to an animal, bird or insect
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The tallest tree you can see
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A tree you can identify
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A mystery tree you don't recognise
Look for the Clues
Leaves & Needles
Are they broad or narrow? Do they have smooth, toothed or lobed edges?
Are there needles instead of leaves?
Bark
Is it smooth, rough, cracked, peeling or covered in moss and lichens?
Seeds & Cones
Look on the tree and on the ground underneath. Can you find acorns,
berries, winged seeds or cones?
Shape
Stand back and look at the whole tree. Is it tall and narrow, rounded,
spreading or cone-shaped?
Wildlife
Trees are homes and feeding places for all kinds of wildlife. Look carefully
for birds, insects, webs, nests, holes or signs that something has been
eating the leaves.
Your Mystery Tree
Found a tree you don't recognise?
Become a real tree detective. Take a photograph or make a drawing of its leaves, bark, seeds or cones and use your clues to see if you can identify it.
Remember: A good Tree Detective looks carefully, asks questions and leaves the tree and its wildlife exactly as they found them.