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I.D.-A-Tree

Re-read Martin Buber's "I and Thou: A Tree." Your understanding and care for trees will be enhanced by adopting a tree. You can adopt a tree in your yard, at school, at your synagogue, or at a local park.

Research different types of local trees and learn more about your adopted tree. You can use tree guides from the library or "The National Arbor Day Foundation." Take your research a step further by finding out...

Is the tree deciduous or coniferous?
A deciduous tree sheds its leaves regularly. A tree may be cold--deciduous--shedding its leaves when the weather gets cool, or drought-deciduous--shedding its leaves when the water supply is low. A coniferous tree is a cone-bearing tree with needle-like or scale-like leaves.
(There are also some deciduous conifers, such as the larch, which shed all their needles in the fall!)

Is the tree a native or non-native species?
Trees native to an area have evolved to live in balance with the rest of the plants and animals living in that area. Non-native trees can cause trouble in a forest because they often grow faster than native trees and crowd them out. Due to the stressful growing conditions in cities, however, some non-natives can survive better than natives as street trees.

How old is the tree?
Trees grow at different rates depending on the species, the amount of water and sunlight they receive, the type of soil, and other factors. Foresters count the annual growth rings by taking a think core sample of the trunk. Kids can ask adults who were around when the tree was planted, or check with a local historian to determine the age of a very old tree.