Scavenger Hunt, December 2007

Great fun for anyone who loves nature, these scavenger hunts are also a wonderful family activity and an engaging assignment for students of any age.

Occasionally we list a number of items found in the wild and discussed in recent Botany columns, for you to go out and find for yourself. You are invited to post a description of something you observed or learned on your hunt – see the Scavenger Hunt Discussion.

For the December 2007 scavenger hunt, go outdoors and seek the following items:

• Three plant skeletons

The dried-out seed-bearing stalks of plants are many and various in winter. Look around the base of each skeleton and see if there are any green leaves. A few plants stay green in winter, and some of them are actually edible. See Edible Green Plants of Winter.

• A tree with seed pods hanging from the branches

Some trees form seeds late in the year and keep them throughout the winter, such as catalpa, sycamore, witch hazel, tulip tree, black locust, and others. See Identifying Trees in Winter for details.

• A tree with opposite twigs and buds

You can either look at low branches or look up into the canopy to study the twigs. Find one with pairs of twigs or buds that are situated on opposite sides of the branch or twig, at the same level, an important clue for identification. Check a field guide or the article Opposite Tree Identification and try to identify your tree.

• A tree with aromatic inner bark

As you’re studying the twigs, scratch away a bit of the outer bark and sniff the green inner layer. Trees with strong-smelling bark include sweet birch, sassafras, black walnut, wild cherry, ailanthus. See Aromatic Tree Identification for more details.