On Tuesday, October 24, The Dawes Arboretum’s Learning and Engagement department presented “Trees At Work” hosted at the Midland Theatre in Newark, Ohio. More than 1500 students from elementary schools throughout Licking County arrived to learn about all things trees and their functions.
The show started off with Karla Long, The Aboretum’s Director of Learning and Engagement, asking students about their own knowledge regarding trees. Students raised their hands and shouted their answers aloud after being called upon.
Nancy Gregory, The Arboretum’s Environmental Educator, spoke on what trees need to survive with a slideshow present in the background.
Seven students from different schools were then called up on stage to each represent the seven parts of a tree. They each wore a name tag with every part of a tree: the heartwood, the xylem, the roots, the leaves, the phloem, the cambium and the bark. The members of our Learning and Engagement team gave the student a definition to their specific function as well as a phrase to yell into the audience to help them remember, for example the heartwood; it is the middle of the tree and provides strength. The students were instructed to yell out “I support, I support!"
There was also a lesson on Ohio’s official state fruit tree, the Paw-Paw. Photos of this tree with the fruit it produces, of mango and banana flavors, were shown. Our team informed students that we host this tree on our grounds and encouraged them to stop out during its “in season” time frame to check it out!
At the end of the presentation, students went over the main key functions of a tree and reflected on what they learned. They left inspired with a new outlook on trees and what The Arboretum has to teach!