How many different types of trees do you think there are in Maine? Ten? Fifty? Do they all have different kinds of leaves?
These questions led us to explore the many trees around us on the Cathance River Nature Preserve, looking for unique leaves on the ground and connecting them to their original tree. There were so many leaves around, it was hard to choose just a few to explore!
If you share our curiosity about what different leaves look like and why they are different, join our adventure at the video here! You can also read along with a written activity here, featuring a closer look at some of the leaves we studied.
Remember, there are a MASSIVE variety of trees that all have very different leaves. You may find a leaf that we didn’t see on the preserve, and that’s so cool! Do some research and see if you can identify the leaf and find it’s tree! If you need help finding resources, try Forest Trees of Maine guidebook written by the Maine Forest Commissioner or other resources included in the written activity.
We hope you can find some super awesome leaves on your own!
– Alex and Lily