Tree Science

In order to get more sunlight to our garden area, we have decided to take down a couple of large trees in our backyard. The first part of the trunk of tree #1 (a sweet gum that stands about 75ft) is now down. Jeremy showed Olivia the rings inside of the tree, discussing age, rates of growth, and years with more or less rainfall. He pulled back the bark and we looked at the moist layer just inside with the sugar to feed the tree. We also noted the grain of the wood, relating it to the trees strength and flexibility, and then compared the newly felled tree to a piece of dry, rotten tree also in the backyard. Gabe spent his time banging sticks around and Ezra was into feeling (and chewing) the gum balls.

On average, trees grow about 1 inch in circumference per year. This sweet gum is 88 inches around, so it should be about 88 years old.  

This was a piece of the main trunk that was about 60 feet up. When O and Jeremy counted the rings there were about 85, so this part of the tree is that old.

JR peeled off a piece of the bark and showed O the layer beneath that carries food from the leaves down to the roots.