Trees in the Landscape

Source:

Adapted from the Taynish National Nature Reserve, local schools pack (SNH)

Time

1 hour or more

You will need

• Old maps of the area to be visited
• Notebooks and pencils

Did you know?

Larch trees are one of the few conifers that shed their needles in winter.

Before the activity

Chose a local area that has, for example, parkland, forestry plantations and native woodland. Find a map of this area that is at least 20 years old.

The activity

Get the class to survey the area on foot and update their copy of the old map, adding a detailed key to the areas of woodland. They can chose symbols for the various woodland types, such as:

• conifer deciduous
• conifer evergreen
• broadleaf
• mixed woodland
• newly planted woodland
• felled woodland

Depending on the scale of the maps they could also mark on hedgerows, shelter belts, buffer zones of trees between roads and houses or buffer zones between conifer plantations and rivers, other small areas of woodland, or even particular trees they find interesting. Discuss how the trees can affect people's perception or appreciation of a landscape, (they can block views or hide unsightly or noisy industries and add colour and shape to the landscape)

Back in the class discuss the differences  found between the old and updated maps. Discuss why the changes have occurred.

Suggested Follow up

• Look at modern and old maps of other local areas. See if the class can find changes in the built, planted or natural landscape. Have fields become woods, have towns expanded, have rivers changed their course?
• Try the activity Tree mapping survey in the Woodland Ways section

Curriculum Links

• science - main
• social studies - main

Age Range

2,3