Trees tour

On May 15, the class was brought around different parts of campus to find trees. We started with the Western Red Cedar (Thuya plicata) which has a very fibrous trunk which was used by native people to make clothing for thousands of years. The Burke Museum displays many of these clothes-they're quite fragile and can be affected by light. The Burke can have them made and repaired by local Native Americans in the region. It's amazing what people were able to make with the natural materials around them-it makes our world look very materialized and shallow. The craftsmanship needed to make these garments is a dying quality- traditional ecological knowledge should be preserved for as long as possible.
Next, we saw a giant sequoia-it was very wide and has intricate bark with interesting colors and textures. The tree can grow hundreds of feet-basically a world wonder. Next, we identified a Horse Chestnut with very large leaves. The leaves are poisonous to most animals. The trunk was also quite intricate and solid. The tree produces small balls that kids use to play with. Next, we found a madrone-a commonly seen tree in the region- it has it's own insulation to keep the tree cool always.
Finally, we saw a Ginkgo tree (Ginkgo biloba). This tree has historically never changes since prehistoric eras. It has never evolved any other way, which is quite a rare feat. The leaves are quite beautiful and the bark has light striations running down it. I enjoyed learning about this tree and its uses.
I would say I have learned the most about trees in this class. It has made me see my world in a much different way than before. I'm quite attune to the species around me-I'm thankful for my new identification skills and knowledge of the natural world.

Posted on June 5, 2012 10:58 PM by ajwick24