Maine Trees, Top to Bottom is for anyone interested in trees - beginners, back-yard naturalists, and more serious enthusiasts. The variety of student backgrounds leads to lively discussions and shared learning (I always learn something new) based on published literature, direct observations, and oral traditions. If you're interested in trees and want to know more about them, this class is for you!
The class has evolved over the years and will continue to develop in its format and its teaching tools. Building on the Forest Trees of Maine and Natural Landscapes of Maine, the six-week class is designed to equip students to identify the tree species that characterize Maine's forest communities. Learn to use dichotomous keys and understand botanical terms as you look at trees close up and from a distance.
Currently, Maine Trees, Top to Bottom is structured into six two-hour sessions. Each session introduces a couple of tree related topics and includes hands-on specimen identification (leaves, twigs, bark, fruit, flowers) as well as outdoor practice on trees surrounding the venue. As might be expected, topics range from roots-soil upward to trunk-nutrient transport to leaves-canopy. Though trees are the focus, we also bring in discussion of natural communities and the relationship between trees and the animals that live in those communities.
Interested? Watch for the spring calendar at Lewiston Auburn Senior College. You can also bring Maine Trees, Top to Bottom to a place near you as a six-week class or as a four-hour introductory session. For more information, contact treestoptobottom@gmail.com.
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