From Leaf to Leaf
October 22 and 29, 2013
Highlights of the past two weeks in our program included getting to know the trees of Awbury a little better. On October 22, we hiked over to the meadow near the pond and took a few minutes with tree guides to identify as many trees as we could within a defined area.
Then we played a few rounds of Tree ID Tag (a game found in Coyote’s Guide to Connecting with Nature). I called out a tree species, which became the base, and everyone ran toward one of that tree (often the only one of its kind). Then the base changed to a new species, and they were off again, moving from species to species until one person was left. This proved an energizing way to learn the landscape!
After tag, we stopped to make a few notes about our surroundings and to play a round of a favorite sensory awareness game, Firekeeper. Then we headed back to the Cope House for independent writing.
Last week, we went in search of the 20 Trees to See at Awbury . We divided into pairs with tree guides, each pair assigned to find one tree at a time. We covered the English Landscape Park section of the arboretum during this session, almost half of the list.
Each pair was excited to find their tree and later to introduce everyone else to it. We collected leaves from each and placed them in our plant press. We were pleased to find that the last tree on our tour for that morning, the American basswood (Tilia americana), had room for us.
