ABSTRACT
This chapter develops children's understanding of their adopted tree through close observation of its bark. Children return to their adopted tree and explore the bark on the tree trunk. Colour: Bark colour varies from white and silver, to reds and browns. For example, silver birch has a silvery white bark which sheds layers like tissue paper and becomes black and rugged at the base. As the trees mature, the bark develops dark, diamond-shaped fissures. Beech trees have a smooth bark, while the bark of oak trees starts off smooth but, as they age, become rugged with cracks and crevices. Some bark is used for commercial purposes, e.g. cork, and for the production of drugs for conditions such as arthritis. Tannin found in bark from oak trees has been used to tan leather since Roman times.
