Scavenger Hunt, March 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.

Each month 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 Scavenger Hunts under “Discussions”.

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

1. Twigs bearing buds from four different kinds of trees.

Trees have buds from summer through early spring. If you have never looked closely at tree buds, you may be surprised by how different the buds of different species can be. See Identifying Features of Trees for more information on buds.

2. Bits of bark that come off a tree trunk in your hand.

Without peeling or using any kind of instrument, see if you can find a tree whose bark will flake off when you brush or scratch it with your fingers. Take only a single flake or scale, since you could harm the tree if you take too much. Red maple and white oak are two common trees with flaky bark.

3. Two different kinds of moss.

Nearly every large rock has moss or lichen on its surface. Fallen logs and some upright trees also have coatings of moss or lichen. Mosses may be feathery, leafy, fuzzy. Look for different shapes. See Observing Mosses and Lichens.

4. Two different kinds of lichen.

Lichens vary from a velvety coating on a maple trunk to wavy, leaflike shapes crusting rocks. See Lichens and Mosses.

Answer to last week’s Plant ID Quiz: Red oak, Quercus rubrus