The Giving Tree

 

Dear Lilliputian , 

Above are some trees that I saw on a recent walk . I am sure you have read the book by Shel Silverstein titled The Giving Tree . In that book it tells how useful trees are to all of us . The first photo above shows you what a tree looks like when a Beaver uses its teeth to cut down a tree . He will continue to use his teeth on this tree until the tree falls over . He will then gnaw off the branches to help build its home . Beaver will also eat the bark on the trees when it is hungry . The second photo of a  stand of trees shows how Rabbits , Mice , or Porcupine chew the bark off the tree to eat something called cambium that grows just under the bark. They eat the cambuim to keep from starving in a cold hard Winter like we had this year . The third photo is what a tree looks like after a Moose eats some of the cambium off of the tree . The Moose was hungry this past Winter too . . .  If you click on the photo you can see the big teeth marks the Moose has made . The tree down below is known as the Bear tree because it has so many marks on the tree . These marks are made by Bear climbing the tree . If you click on the photo you will see circular spots which is where a Bear dug his claws in to hold on as it climbed this tree . You will also see long slashes that show where the Bears claws scratched the tree . . . maybe as the bear was slipping . Can you guess how this tree is helpful to Bears ?

Did you think that maybe the Bear ate the cambium ? Well , the answer is that the Beech tree produces nuts called Beech nuts . The Bears love to eat Beech nuts . They climb very high in the tree to eat this special treat . 

These are only a few ways that the trees are very important . Can you think of any more ways that trees are important ? I am sure you can .  

If you haven't read The Giving Tree I would recommend it . . . and another book that might be fun is called Big Bad Bruce by Bill Peet . . . it is about a rather naughty bear . 

Until next time,
Wildbee