Following a particular tree for a year is a fun nature study activity.  The tree does not need to be at your home, it could be in a park , library or anywhere you can have access to the tree year-round.  Our family chose a tree on our property to follow for a year, but have found that, three years later, we are still keeping track of the life of our favorite tree.  Let me introduce you to Oakie, our nature study tree.

As a supplement to our nature studies, three years ago,  my children and I decided to choose one tree on our property to focus on for nature study. I thought it would be an easy choice, but with nearly 30 trees on our 2 acres, there was a  bit of debate. Finally, we made a choice.

This tree is not the largest or loveliest tree in our yard by any means, but it gets lots of attention and action in and around it. Oakie is right next to the children’s play set, and it is where we hang three bird feeders. We have watched this tree every day for nearly 3 years.

We started out by naming the tree Oakie and then collected some leaves for our nature notebooks. We drew  pictures of the tree for each season and discussed theories on why the tree leans to one side. (hard to tell in the photo) We compared the leaves and acorns of this oak to the other oak trees in the yard and discovered we have at least 3 different types of oak trees on our property!  We made bark rubbings, measured the circumference of the tree several times during the school year and studied the wildlife that visit the tree. The Handbook of Nature Study gave me some good discussion points to share, and we had a great time getting to know our tree.

Three years later, we still check the upper branches to see what bird is waiting on a refill at the feeders.  We know which branches the squirrels like to use most, and where the woodpecker likes to hunt for insects. We still press its petite red leaves in books every fall.   Oakie survived a straight-line windstorm that threw the children’s play set against it.  The play set sustained serious damage, but Oakie came through unscathed.   Compared to the larger, more stately oaks and hickories on our property, Oakie is not much to look at, but  we love our scraggly little nature-study tree.   We encourage you to find a tree to study and love as well.