On a beautiful sunny day in January, Roots for the Future was invited by The Science Learning Partnership to be a part of Frimley Junior school’s STEM day. Frimley school is lucky to have lots of lovely mature trees on their grounds, as well as some younger ones they have planted. So I took each class in years 3 and 4 on a guided tour of all those lovely trees.
We started off sharing something AMAZING we know about trees. The children knew all sorts, from the oxygen-carbon dioxide symbiotic relationship we have with trees to counting rings for how old the tree is. The most amazing thing I personally know about trees, that I like to share at workshops, is that they have been scientifically proven to make us feel better. Trees emit oils called phytonicides and these oils boost our immunity and make us feel better. Being in green spaces make us feel better, the fresh air, the sounds of nature, the beauty – and trees are a huge part of that.
Frimley’s logo has a tree on it. I learnt that the tree represents the beautiful Magnolia tree in the playground, which has its own story, planted there by one of the school’s supporters. We started with the magnolia tree learning that it is ancient species – fossil specimens of magnolia’s have been found to be 20 million years old. They grow large fragrant flowers which could be bowl-shaped or star-shaped, white, pink, purple, green or yellow. They are glorious in the spring.
The photo below is of their Robinia or Locust Tree also in their playground. The bark is really striking, ridged with amazing patterns. It’s a truly sensory tree, lovely to touch. I encouraged the children to touch the bark and to even hug the tree if they felt like it. Hugging trees has been scientifically proven to make us feel better. Hugging a tree increases levels of hormone oxytocin which is the love hormone, and the hormones serotonin and dopamine, which are the happy hormones. When we aren’t able to hug our friends because of social distancing, hugging a tree can help us to feel better and this one is an extremely huggable tree.
The photo below is of one of the groups touching the Tulip Tree, so named because it grows flowers that loosely resemble tulips. They are part of the Magnolia family. In one of the groups, the children spontaneously wrapped their arms around this tree without me even yet mentioning hugging trees. It was quite moving. They were so enthusiastic about getting closer to their trees.
We learnt how to identify trees in the tricky time of winter. Without leaves or buds it can be hard to work out what’s what, but there are ways and means and the children loved being detectives.
We also incorporated lots of silences in the walk so that the children got the chance to listen to the sounds of nature, the birds singing, the wind swaying the tree branches, rustling in the leaves from hidden critters. It was wonderful how keen the pupils were to learn about and immerse themselves into the nature on their doorstep.
For more information about our guided tree walks, get in touch.
Siku moja ya jua ya Januari, Roots for the Future ilialikwa na Ushirikiano wa Kujifunza Sayansi kuwa sehemu ya siku ya STEM ya shule ya Frimley Junior. Shule ya Frimley ina bahati ya kuwa na miti mingi ya kupendeza ya kukomaa kwenye uwanja wao, pamoja na baadhi ya vijana ambao wamepanda. Kwa hiyo, kila mwaka, kila mwaka, kila mwaka, kila mwaka, kila mwaka, kila mwaka, kila mwaka, kila mwaka, kila mwaka, kila mwaka, kila mwaka, kila mwaka, kila mwaka, kila mwaka, kila mwaka, kila mwaka, kila mwaka, kila mwaka. Tulianza kwa kushiriki kitu cha kushangaza tunachojua kuhusu miti. Watoto walijua kila kitu, kuanzia uhusiano wa oksijeni na kaboni dioksidi tunao na miti hadi kuhesabu pete za umri wa mti. Jambo la kushangaza zaidi ninachojua kuhusu miti, ambalo napenda kushiriki katika warsha, ni kwamba imethibitishwa kisayansi kutufanya tujihisi vizuri. Miti hutokeza mafuta yanayoitwa phytonicides na mafuta haya huongeza kinga yetu na kutufanya tujihisi vizuri. Kuwa katika nafasi za kijani kutufanya tujihisi vizuri, hewa safi, sauti za asili, uzuri <unk> na miti ni sehemu kubwa ya hiyo. Nembo ya Frimley ina mti juu yake. Mti huo unawakilisha mti mzuri wa Magnolia katika uwanja wa michezo, ambao una hadithi yake mwenyewe, uliopandwa huko na mmoja wa wafuasi wa shule. Magnolia ni aina ya mti wa kale sana, na mifano ya magnolia imepatikana kuwa na umri wa miaka milioni 20. Maua yake ya kipekee ya rangi ya kijani, rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi ya rangi. Wao ni wenye utukufu wakati wa majira ya kuchipua. Picha iliyo hapa chini ni ya Robinia yao au Mti wa Mbuzi pia katika uwanja wao wa michezo. Mti huo una umbo la kuvutia sana, na una michoro yenye kuvutia. Ni mti wenye hisi za kweli, wenye kupendeza kugusa. Niliwachochea watoto waguse magamba ya mti huo na hata kuukumbatia ikiwa walitaka. Ni jambo la kisayansi kuthibitika kwamba kunyakua miti kunatufanya tujihisi vizuri. Kupiga mti huongeza viwango vya homoni ya upendo, serotonini na dopamine. Wakati hatuwezi kukumbatia marafiki wetu kwa sababu ya umbali wa kijamii, kukumbatia mti kunaweza kutusaidia kujisikia vizuri na hii ni mti wa kukumbatia sana. Picha iliyo hapa chini ni ya mojawapo ya vikundi vinavyougusa Mti wa Tulip, ulioitwa hivyo kwa sababu unakua maua yanayofanana na maua ya tulipu. Ni sehemu ya familia ya Magnolia. Katika kikundi kimoja, watoto walifunga mikono yao kwa ghafula kuzunguka mti huu bila mimi hata kutaja miti ya kukumbatia. Ilikuwa yenye kugusa moyo sana. Walikuwa na shauku sana kuhusu kukaribia miti yao. Tulijifunza jinsi ya kutambua miti katika wakati mgumu wa majira ya baridi kali. Bila majani au buds inaweza kuwa vigumu kufanya kazi nini ni nini, lakini kuna njia na njia na watoto walipenda kuwa upelelezi. Pia, tulijumuisha ukimya mwingi katika kutembea ili watoto wawe na nafasi ya kusikiliza sauti za asili, ndege wakiimba, upepo ukitikisa matawi ya miti, na kusikika kwa majani kutoka kwa viumbe vilivyofichwa. Ilikuwa ya ajabu jinsi wanafunzi walivyokuwa na hamu ya kujifunza na kujiingiza katika asili kwenye mlango wao. Kwa habari zaidi kuhusu safari zetu za kutembea kwenye miti, wasiliana nasi.