Plants and Spring

Landmark 12 (Nearby Plants and Animals)

We went outside for a walk in our favourite forest behind the school to look for evidence of plants and spring. We tried to move slowly, instead of rushing around, to see what had been hiding under the snow all winter. There were municipal arborists cutting down a huge tree and the students were very upset. “Now we won’t have any oxygen left!” more than one student exclaimed. I seized the moment and invited one of the arborists to come and speak with us in the hope we might better understand the necessity of their work. The gentleman that stepped forward was named Scott and he was very generous with his time, patient, and informative. “Why do you cut them down? How do you know which ones to take?” were the most immediate questions. He shared how dangerous the “hangers, or widow makers,” were from higher above, and how to spot dead trees by looking at the bark in the tops of the trees. He also showed us how the invasive Emerald Ash Borer lays its eggs in the bark crevices and takes over the ecosystem with its incessant and unchecked appetite and life cycle. We quickly saw a new perspective. “Where do you take the trees after you cut them down?” another student asked. The answer was all around us–they leave them beside the path to decay and eventually return to the earth. This was such a meaningful learning opportunity and experience for stewardship and kinship, I had to share!

St Catherine CES Gr 3 – March 23, 2022