Spark a Lifelong Love of Trees
Written by Kristina Meek
It sometimes seems that children gravitate toward the natural environment without any prompting. Many of them seem born wanting to dig for worms, splash in rain puddles, or roll down a grassy hill. Was that ever you? It’s too bad that many people outgrow this fascination, especially when it comes to trees. At all ages, we benefit from trees in the form of shade, wind mitigation, air filtering, oxygen production, biodiversity support… the list goes on and on.
If we can help children learn to love trees from an early age, and make it stick, we might just end up with adults eager to regenerate our green spaces. Here are a few ideas for how to do that.
Talk About Trees
When walking or playing outdoors with your child, help them notice the trees. Point them out, describe them, and celebrate them. Loving trees for their own sake is a noble aspiration. However, you can also point out all the good things trees do, some of which are mentioned above. Make sure trees are main characters in your family’s story and not just background extras.
Give Trees Names
Kids love learning names of individual ambassador animals. When they encounter a non-releasable bird at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve or a “famous” zoo-dwelling hippo, they learn and repeat that individual’s name. Why not name trees? Is that Charlie in your front yard, or Gladys at the park down the street? This practice can help instill the idea that each tree is special and worth protecting. Name the trees in your yard, at school, or along your route as you take a walk.
Interact with trees without harming them
We can model good stewardship of nature and that includes how we interact with trees. You can sit in their shade, climb them (safely), or make crayon rubbings of their bark. All of these activities can instill appreciation. Just as important is what we don’t do to trees, such as breaking off branches, carving into their trunks, or pulling off bunches of leaves. Practice and model respect.
Notice who else needs trees
Any given tree, even a dead one, likely plays host to a plethora of living things. When you encounter a tree, look for evidence of a woodpecker or owl dwelling inside, invertebrates on the bark, squirrels and birds nesting in the branches, and much more. You might be surprised when you look closely! Children are often drawn to animals, including “creepy-crawlies” and this experience can help them understand that we all share resources like trees.
Grow a tree at home (even without a yard)
A beautiful activity is to plant a tree together as a family and watch it grow over the years. Of course, this experience isn’t accessible to everyone. Your family might choose to start a baby tree in a pot, with hopes of one day finding it a more permanent home. Or, perhaps you have a friend or grandparent with enough space to let you plant a tree in their yard. Another idea is to join a volunteer group that plants trees in your community (ahem). Renting a live Christmas tree has even started to catch on. With a little creativity, you can find ways to let your little ones discover the wonder of caring for a tree.
Keep an open mind and look for the opportunities all around you. You may spark a lifelong love of trees, and nature in general, that one day changes the world! And, if you’d like to nerd out on the role of nature in child development check out this paper.
If you believe in the power of trees to shape a better future, consider supporting Take MAR with a donation. Your contribution helps us plant more trees, restore natural habitats, and expand the reach of our conservation efforts. Every dollar plants roots for a healthier, greener tomorrow. Donate today and be part of lasting change.
