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The Great Tree Hunt

by Kate Hofmann

See how many weird-looking trees are waiting for you in your backyard, neighborhood, or nearby woods.

What You Need:

• a pencil or two,
  a notebook or sketchpad
• a camera (optional)  

What to Look For:

• Sapsucker "Cafés." Woodpeckers called sapsuckers drill neat rows of little holes in trees, then slurp up the sap. (See the illustration, above.) Chances are the tree will be an old sapsucker café—where the bird's holes have dried up and healed over. But if you're lucky, you may find a fresh one—where the sapsucker holes are still oozing sap. You may get lucky and see not just sapsuckers, but hummingbirds, insects, and squirrels stopping by to dine.
  
  
• Trees in strange shapes
  
  
• Trees twisted by vines.
  
  
• Trees lumpy with burls.
  
  
• Trees growing in unusual places. 
   

Fun things to do after you spot your weird tree:

1. Make a tree log. In your notebook or sketchpad, draw your trees—or snap their photos and save room for them in your log. Jot down notes about how your trees are different-looking and how they might have gotten that way. 
   
   
2. Make friends. Name your favorite trees. Visit them now and, in a few months, to see if they change from one season to the next. 
   
   
3. Take a tree tour. Draw a sightseeing map with all your special trees on it. Take your family and friends on an expedition to see them. 
   
   
4. Show them off. Send photos or drawings of your weirdest trees to Ranger Rick; 11100 Wildlife Center Drive; Reston , VA 20190-5362 or e-mail rick@nwf.org.  

Illustration by Debbie Palen

 

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