Spring time is just around the corner. We always know because we start to see the trees bud. What’s really happening though and how does a barren stick suddenly adorn itself with beautiful green leaves? Your challenge Uplanders is to find that out and report back to me. However, I’m not talking Google, I’m talking actually going out and observing a tree budding. Here’s what you’ll need…

Materials: Three pieces of brightly colored string, a ruler with centimeters and millimeters, and a notebook
Time: One day a week from now until March
Directions: Go out and find a tree in your yard or on your school grounds. It needs to be someplace you can remember and someplace nearby, so be cautious of romping 30 miles into the backcountry! Tie the string to the tree on the very end of a branch where a small hard knob is. This hard knob is the bud. Each week go out and take a gander (that’s a real good look) at each of your trees. In your notebook record these three things

Length Of bud from base to tip

Width of bud from length to tip

The weather outside (warm, cold, snowy, rainy)

On your first visit to your tree, see if you can guess what type of tree it is…no cheating and picking one you already know! Not so easy is it, because we usually look at the leaves to see what type of tree it is. Record what you think it might be in your notebook. You can come back to this in the spring to see if you were right!

Let me know what you find Uplanders! Over and Out!