Trees with Cones

You can also think of a tree in terms of a tree community by choosing a backyard tree to develop an ongoing list of creatures that use the tree as part of their community. Keep track of when certain birds and animals frequent the tree to see patterns. This is particularly nice for the winter if the tree is visible from a comfortable window.

Collect cones and compare them in your nature journal. See if you can find the seeds inside the cone.

You can also force cones to open. Cones that are closed tightly are best for this project. These will open and become glorious cones once you complete the drying process. Line an old baking sheet or baking pan with aluminum foil. This will prevent the pitch from sticking to your pan. Layer the pine cones on the aluminum foil so that they are barely touching. Be sure that your cones are only one layer deep. If you have more cones than will fit on the bottom of the pan, either do two pans at once or save the rest for a second batch. Preheat the oven on its lowest setting. You don't want the temperature to be any more than 200 degrees. Place the pan of pine cones in the oven to warm them and remove the moisture that causes them to stay closed. As the cones heat, they will begin to open. Watch the cones carefully and turn them often to prevent burning. The pitch on the pine cones will melt and create a glaze that will retain the rich brown color of the cones. Remove cones as soon as they are fully opened and allow them to cool on newspapers or right in the pan, if you prefer. Sketch in your nature journal and display in a bowl.


Compare the leaves or needles. Often you can identify a conifer tree by its needles or its cones.
"Can you match up your pinecones with the tree they came from?
After looking aound fo awhile, she said, 'It's this one, the one with the littlest pinecones.'
'This is hemlock,' I said
'I like the ones with the bigger pinecones -those, ' said Don, pointing.
'Those trees are white pines. Do you see how the branches grow horizontally? It makes it a great climbing tree...
Our little group of naturalists also identified some of the conifers, cutting samples of each to take back to the house for drawing. I asked them how the branches of the hemlock were arranged to shed the snow..." A Pocket Full of Pinecones, Karen Androlea
Make a cone collection by gathering and comparing cones from different evergreens. Pick a cone and write a description of it in your nature journal. Then you share the description with someone else and they have to figure out which cone you described.
Measure the needles.
"Once, with a brush and some watercolor paints, she drew some pine and fur branches. One stroke of a fine brush with green paint was all that was needed for each pine needle. She pointed out that the white pine always has five needles growing together in one cluster. One pays closer attention to things when they ae to be painted." -A Pocket Full of Pinecones, Karen Androlea


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