February 2021 The Giant Lumberjack With footprints big enough to form long as these resources are used enjoyed by other plants, animals, lakes and an ax large enough to responsibly, they will always be and people too! Wood from our create canyons, Paul Bunyan is available. After a tree is cut down, forests is an amazing resource and known as a very large man. His another tree can be planted and learning about the logging process companion is an equally large blue grow in its place but this takes time. will help us protect it. ox named Babe. Together Paul and Babe are known for their incredible We use wood for countless things. logging feats. They would cut trees Different woods come from different and clear entire forests with kinds of trees. Pine trees are one of Think about it… incredible speed. the most commonly harvested trees and are used to make everything What are three things that While, the stories of Paul Bunyan from paper to furniture. Maples and you use every day made of are exaggerated, logging has been oaks are known for their sturdy wood? a large part of America’s history and wood and are used to make continues to be important now. furniture and flooring. A quick look However, the trees must be around you will reveal just how harvested carefully. If humans cut common wood is in our lives. Definitions: down trees too quickly the forests will not have a chance to regrow Logging: cutting down trees to use In order to ensure that we continue the wood as a building material and the plants and animals that live to have healthy forests we must in the forest will suffer. Renewable Resource: a resource carefully harvest trees to use. We that can be used repeatedly and must also leave some parts of the replaced naturally Wood is a renewable resource. As forest undisturbed so that it can be
Help Paul Bunyan Find His Blue Ox
1 Featured Plant: Eastern White Pine Michigan’s State Tree is the important to the logging industry. Bark eastern white pine. This pine can The wood is used as a common be identified by the number of construction material. This tree is Scavenger Hunt needles per fascicle. The white also very important in our forests. pine has 5 needles in each The seeds are eaten by birds and White Bark fascicle – one needle for each small mammals (Department of letter in the word W-H-I-T-E. Natural Resources).
White pine is a common tree in Fascicle: a bundle of leaves or Michigan forests. White pine is flowers growing together Peeling Bark
Rough Bark
Photo by DNR Photo by DNR
Featured Animal: White-tailed Deer Michigan’s state mammal is the White-tailed deer are white-tailed deer. They are the herbivores. They browse many smallest members of the deer different kinds of vegetation Smooth Bark family in North America. The depending on what is available. male deer grow antlers which In the winter, when there is less they shed and regrow every year. food, they will even eat the Their name comes from the white needles of the white pine tree coloring on the underside of their (Nature Mapping Program). tail. They will use their tail to communicate especially when Herbivore: an animal that eats they sense danger. plants
Try at Home: Twig Picture Frame
Supplies: Tie two sticks together securely • 4 twigs to make one corner of the frame. • String Repeat with the other corners of • Scissors the frame. Punch 4 holes in your • Picture picture and connect to the • Hole punch corners of your frame with more string. Cut off the extra string The full tutorial can be found at and enjoy your new frame! https://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=KURHCwF3-AE
https://www.canr.msu.edu/hiddenlakegardens/ | February 2021 2 Color it (submissions due February 20th)
Contact Us Submit your coloring page for a chance act Us Hidden Lake Gardens to be featured in our next newsletter! 6214 Monroe Road (Hwy M-50) Tipton, MI 49287 Please email a clear photo or color scan of your finished coloring sheet (including child’s name and Phone: (517) 431-2060 age) to Samantha Howard at [email protected] by February 20th. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram
References
Department of Natural Resources. (2021). White Pine. https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-350- 79135_79218_79615_86813---,00.html
Nature Mapping Program. White-tailed Deer. NatureMapping Animal Facts for Kids. http://naturemappingfoundation.org/natmap/facts/white-tailed_deer_k6.html
3 https://www.canr.msu.edu/hiddenlakegardens/ | February 2021