Naturalist Badge Grades 6th-7th Troop Leader Information · Naturalist Badge Grades 6th-7th Scout...

12
CADETTE: TREES Naturalist Badge Grades 6th-7th Troop Leader Information Preparing for your visit... The best day out is one you have prepared for. Before you come out to visit us we suggest that you... > Buy tickets in advance so you don’t have to wait in lines > Call ahead for availability. The Ropes Course and Zip Line have reduced hours during off season months. > Print out the included worksheets for each of your scouts > The island sun can be overwhelming, make sure everyone is staying hydrated and using sunscreen > Wear comfortable shoes so you can explore more > Food and drinks are not allowed in our exhibits so plan breaks for your scouts to snack and relax Courage, confidence, and character Make the world a beer place This packet includes: Notes for troop leaders on each step that can be done at Moody Gardens........... pg 2 Worksheets for scouts to fill out for each step....... pg 3-9 Explore Some More Ropes Course/ Zip Line .. pg 10 Helpful Extras: Property map ...... pg 11 Rainforest map.... pg 12 pg 1 Visiting Moody Gardens with your scouts.... Moody Gardens is a place full of inspiration and provides many opportunities to do more! Most of the steps in this badge can be completed while visiting us. Rainforest tickets can be purchased online or at ticket counters on property. The jogging trail and property grounds are free to wander through during the day. Read page 2 to see where each step can be completed at Moody Gardens. Discounts are available for groups. For more information contact Group Sales at 1-800-582-4673, x4203 or x4362 Things to bring: +Reusable water bottle +First aid kit +Sunscreen +Magnifying glass +Worksheets +Writing utensil +Comfortable walking shoes +Comfortable clothes +Smart phone to look up +Notebook/journal additional information and help answer scout questions +Camera! (You may take photos anywhere at Moody Gardens but please watch for “no flash” signs with certain animals who are light sensitive.)

Transcript of Naturalist Badge Grades 6th-7th Troop Leader Information · Naturalist Badge Grades 6th-7th Scout...

CADETTE: TREESNaturalist Badge Grades 6th-7th

Troop Leader Information

Preparing for your visit...

The best day out is one you have prepared for. Before you come out to visit us we suggest that you...

> Buy tickets in advance so you don’t have to wait in lines > Call ahead for availability. The Ropes Course and Zip Line have reduced hours during off season months. > Print out the included worksheets for each of your scouts> The island sun can be overwhelming, make sure everyone is staying hydrated and using sunscreen> Wear comfortable shoes so you can explore more> Food and drinks are not allowed in our exhibits so plan breaks for your scouts to snack and relax

Courage, con�dence, and characterMake the world a be�er place

This packet includes:

Notes for troop leaders on each step that can be done at Moody Gardens........... pg 2

Worksheets for scouts to �ll out for each step....... pg 3-9

Explore Some MoreRopes Course/ Zip Line .. pg 10

Helpful Extras:Property map ...... pg 11Rainforest map.... pg 12

pg 1

Visiting Moody Gardens with your scouts....

Moody Gardens is a place full of inspiration and provides many opportunities to do more!

Most of the steps in this badge can be completed while visiting us. Rainforest tickets can be purchased online or at ticket counters on property. The jogging trail and property grounds are free to wander through during the day.

Read page 2 to see where each step can be completed at Moody Gardens.

Discounts are available for groups. For more information contact Group Sales at 1-800-582-4673, x4203 or x4362

Things to bring:+Reusable water bottle +First aid kit+Sunscreen +Magnifying glass+Worksheets +Writing utensil+Comfortable walking shoes +Comfortable clothes+Smart phone to look up +Notebook/journal additional information and help answer scout questions +Camera! (You may take photos anywhere at Moody Gardens but please watch for “no flash” signs with certain animals who are light sensitive.)

How to help your scouts with their badge

To better help your scouts with their badge, please review all of the included worksheets with your chaperons before you arrive.

Step 1-Try Some Tree Fun: (Choice #1) + VISIT: Rainforest Pyramid or the tree lined Jogging Trail (maps pg 11-12).+ This step is completed just by coming out to see us. Hike the trails and gardens on property and/or visit the Rainforest Pyramid to complete step 1. + Please do not take souvenirs from inside our Rainforest Pyramid. This unique botanical garden is carefully maintained for all of our guests to enjoy. + Check out our gift shop for something to take home from your visit or do a scavenger hunt at home for things already in your kitchen that come from rainforest trees!

Troop Leader Information

Step 2-Dig into the Amazing Science of Trees: (Choice #2) + VISIT: Rainforest Pyramid or Jogging Trail. + Moody Gardens has trees from all over the world both in our Rainforest Pyramid and planted outside. Help scouts find a tree that excites them to work on the botanist’s notebook page.+ Encourage scouts to sketch, even if they don’t think they can draw. This exercise is a learning experience and simple drawings are all that is needed. In fact, the more complex the drawing gets the harder it may be to use for notes!

Step 3-Make a Creative Project Starring Trees: (Choice # 3) + This worksheet has 3 tree stories, each from a different rainforest region. Read the stories aloud as a group then let scouts work individually to create their own tree drawings or stories.+ This activity can be done inside the Visitor’s Center lobby or on a playground while taking your snack break.

Step 4-Explore the Connection between People and Trees: (Choice #1) + This activity can be done inside the Visitor’s Center lobby or on a playground while taking your snack break.+ Use the worksheet to start a discussion on sustainability and forests.+ Look up one of the topics listed at the bottom of the worksheet and encourage scouts to discuss why these issues exist and what we can do to solve them.+ Remember to let scouts lead the discussions and come to their own conclusions.

TAKE A BREAK: + VISIT: Playground (see the map on pg 11 for playground locations)+ Let your scouts run off some energy, hydrate and grab a snack. Our playgrounds are open for play from 9 am-sunset.+ If your group needs some break time inside, consider watching our giant river otters from the Visitor’s Center lobby or catching a show at our MG3D Theater.

pg 2CADETTE: TREESNaturalist Badge Grades 6th-7th

Step 5-Help Trees Thrive: (adapted from Choice #3) + VISIT: Rainforest Pyramid or Jogging Trail+ Moody Gardens’ horticultural staff are constantly caring for the trees in our collection. Review this worksheet with scouts before your tree trip to help them identify signs of tree care as they go.

Scout worksheet: Step 1

Many of the ingredients found in cookies come from tropical rainforest trees! See if you can find the trees below in the Rainforest Pyramid.

pg 3

Scout Worksheet Step 1CADETTE: TREESNaturalist Badge Grades 6th-7th

Try some tree fun

Take a Tree Trip!

Moody Gardens has trees from around the world. These trees are cared for by our horticultural sta� and each one is considered a treasure. Some of our trees are local species while others are some of the last of their kind in the world.

In our Rainforest Pyramid and in our outdoor gardens you can �nd trees that provide lumber, medicine, food, habitat and beautiful green shade during a Texas summer.

CH

OIC

E 1

Cinnamon tree from the Asian rainforests.Cinnamon spice comes from the bark of this tree.

Coconut tree from the American rainforests.The coconut is the seed of this tree.

Nutmeg tree from the American rainforests.The seed of this tree is the nutmeg but it is covered with a thin red membrane that is used as a spice too, mace.

Co�ee tree from the African rainforests.We get co�ee for drinking and baking by roasting the seeds of these trees.

Allspice tree from the American rainforests. Allspice comes from the dried, unripe fruit of this tree.

Cacao tree from the American rainforests. Chocolate is made from the seeds of the cacao tree. The seeds are bi�er unless mixed with sugar and milk to form what we usually eat as chocolate.

leaf from the Cinnamon Tree

Tropical Rainforests grow in the Equatorial Zone, a band around the equator that covers about 6% of the Earth’s surface.

Equatorial Zone

Palm Oil tree from the African rainforests. Palm oil is an edible oil produced from the fruit of this tree.(Look up Sustainable Palm Oil for step 4.)

“Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people” -April 1935, Franklin D. Roosevelt

Which of these tree products is your favorite?

What is your favorite thing made from it?

pg 4

Scout Worksheet Step 2CADETTE: TREESNaturalist Badge Grades 6th-7th

Scout worksheet: Step 2Dig into the amazing science of trees!

Sketch and label the parts of a treeTrees in the tropical Rainforest are a li�le di�erent from trees you might be used to at home. They have a woody trunk, leaves and roots but sometimes the roots come o� the branches and sometimes the leaves are several feet long!Look for trees that have unique structures for surviving in di�erent environments.

CH

OIC

E 2

Botanist’s NotebookSample drawings and notes. Use the next page

for your own notes and sketches.

Tree type:Unique feature:

Sacred Bo

Drip-tip: water drips off so sun won’t burnleaf through drops

Draw one leaf:

Draw the whole tree:

Tree type:Unique feature:

Banyan

Aerial Roots: help tree find stability and nutrients in shallow soil

aerial root dropping

from branch

Trunk

Leaves

Branches

Crown

Rainforest Tree notes:

The soil in the rainforest is shallow and not very nutrient rich, yet, some of the trees

grow 200 feet or taller. Look at the base of large trees to see how their roots are

different.

Many trees have unique bark with thorns or spines to keep animals from climbing them.

Can you find one of these?

Epiphytes are plants that grow in trees instead of on the ground. Many large

rainforest trees start their life as epiphytes before they reach their roots to the ground.

Can you find plants living in the trees?

Take photos

for reference.

Hint: Label sketches to help you remember

important details!

pg 5

Scout Worksheet Step 2CADETTE: TREESNaturalist Badge Grades 6th-7th

Date:

Scout name:

Location:

NOTES:

Draw the bark:

Draw one leaf:

Draw the whole tree:

Tree type:Unique feature:

Tree type:Unique feature:

Botanist’s Notebook

Find a tree that interests you. Sketch the whole tree and label its parts. Look for unique adaptations and see if you can discover their purpose.

Make a creative project starring Trees

Tree Legends

Trees are featured in the oldest stories of humankind. They are sometimes a shelter, sometimes bringers of life or wisdom, and sometimes they even transform into something else.

Read the 3 tropical tree stories below and then try writing one of your own.

CH

OIC

E 3

pg 6

Scout worksheet: Step 3Scout Worksheet Step 1

CADETTE: TREESNaturalist Badge Grades 6th-7th

Legend of the upside-down tree A tale from Africa

A very long time ago the �rst baobab tree grew up beside a small lake. As it grew taller, it watched it’s neighboring trees and admired their tall, narrow trunks, bright colorful �owers and large, green leaves. One day, the wind calmed and the water of the pond became

smooth like a mirror. The baobab looked at its re�ection and was shocked. The tree cried out to the creator, “Why is my trunk so fat? Why are my �owers not colorful? Why does my bark look like wrinkly elephant skin?” The creator ignored the baobab but the tree

continued its whining �nding more and more things it was unhappy about. Finally, the creator had heard enough and reached down from the sky, pulled the baobab up out of the ground and planted it back upside down. Unable to whine any longer, the baobab became one of

the most useful trees on earth. It provides food, water, shelter and medicine but looks rather strange as if its roots are in the air.

The Man with the CoconutsA story of the Tinguian people in the Philippines

One day a man who had been to gather his coconuts loaded his horse heavily with the fruit. On the way home he met a boy whom he asked how long it would take to reach the house.

"If you go slowly," said the boy, looking at the load on the horse, "you will arrive very soon; but if you go fast, it will take you all day."

The man could not believe this strange speech, so he hurried his horse. But the coconuts fell o� and he had to stop to pick them up. Then he hurried his horse all the more to make up for lost time, but the coconuts fell o� again. Many times he did this, and it was night when he reached home.

Source: Mabel Cook Cole, Philippine Folk Tales (Chicago: A. C. McClurg, 1916), p. 88.

Iguazú FallsA tale of the Guarani tribe in Brazil

There was once a young woman of the Guarani tribe named Naipi who was engaged to marry to a great warrior named

Taruba. The serpent spirit, M’Boi, who lived in the Igazú River saw Naipi by the river and demanded that the tribe

give her to him. Naipi and Taruba were very much in love and made plans to escape the powerful spirit. They met at the river to take a canoe far away but M’Boi saw them and chased them. They rowed as hard as they could but M’Boi

stretched until he was the size of the river and cracked the earth creating a waterfall. The canoe spun out of

control throwing Taruba onto dry earth while Naipi, trapped in the canoe, went down the waterfall. M’Boi

rooted Taruba to the ground turning him into a palm tree and turned Naipi into a rock so she couldn’t escape. To this day, between the rock at the bo�om of the falls in

Argentina and the palm tree at the top in Brazil, a rainbow arches to show the enduring love of Naipi and Taruba.

#1tree

LEGEND

#2tree

LEGEND

#3tree

LEGEND

Baob

ab tree

pg 7

Scout worksheet: Step 3Scout Worksheet Step 3

CADETTE: TREESNaturalist Badge Grades 6th-7th

Make a creative project starring Trees

Tree Drawing or Tree Legends

Use this page to start writing your own tree legend or use it to make sketches for a tree focused work of art.

CH

OIC

E 3

Author:Date:Title:Tree of inspiration:

pg 8

Scout worksheet: Step 4Scout Worksheet Step 4

CADETTE: TREESNaturalist Badge Grades 6th-7th

Explore the connection between people and trees

Debate logging, clear-cutting, and deforestation

Trees provide us with so many things. As a resource, trees are invaluable. So why are the forests disappearing if we need so much from trees?

Look at the sustainability diagram and discuss why we harvest trees the way we do and how we can use trees in a way that allows those resources to continue providing for future generations.

CHO

ICE

1SUSTAINABILITY: Sustainable activity meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Sustainability is a 3 part system. It looks at maintaining the security and resources for People, Prosperity, and Planet. This means that a sustainable enterprise takes into account the basic needs of People as well as their ability to make a living and to be happy and secure. It also makes sure that the economy can function to provide jobs, create businesses and continue trade between communities creating Prosperity. Finally, it looks at our limited resources on the Planet and how best to utilize them without harming the ecological balance that supports those resources.

Look up and discuss one of the topics below. (You can search the topic words online to get started.) Talk about sustainable options and why the issues may be more complicated than they �rst appear. Use the diagram to organize your thoughts and break problems down into how they a�ect People, Planet, and Prosperity.

Sustainable Palm Oil Tagua Palms and Elephant Ivory Avocados and Monarchs

“Conservation is a state of harmony between man and land.”

-Aldo Leopold

Help Trees Thrive

H Learn some tree “First-Aid”

H Find out about beneficial insects

Look for signs of tree care in our gardens. You may be able to �nd one of our horticultural experts hard at work while you’re here but even if they are behind the scenes during your visit you can still see their handy work if you know what to look for.

Ada

pted

fro

m C

HO

ICE

3

pg 9

Scout worksheet: Step 5Scout Worksheet Step 5

CADETTE: TREESNaturalist Badge Grades 6th-7th

Tree supports are used to hold a tree

straight while it grows. They help

prevent damage from wind and heavy

weather. Supports are typically staked into the ground and

then tied to the tree.

Bene�cial insects are a huge help to trees! These are insects that help with pest control and pollination.

Look for small colored cards hanging on branches. These are egg cards for bene�cial insects. Using insects instead of poison is be�er for our plants and animals.

Pruning is the cu�ing of dead or overgrown branches to increase fruitfulness and growth.

A splint for a tree works much as it does for a human. It holds the branch or trunk straight while the tree grows or heals. A splint is a long straight stick that is tied to the trunk or branch to promote straight growth. This can be used on a tree that is bending or has a cracked branch.

Wolf Spiders do not spin webs but hunt insects and slugs that harm plants.

Ladybugs eat aphids and other small insects that

feed on plants.

Grafting is a technique used to join healthy living plant tissues together. A graft can be used to add new limbs from a di�erent tree, to replace damaged bark, or to join a stronger root system to an existing tree.

SPLINT

GRAFT

SUPPORT

BENEFICIAL INSECTS

PRUNING

before after

Ropes Course & Zip Line

pg 10

Helpful ExtrasCADETTE: TREESNaturalist Badge Grades 6th-7th

The ropes course, like tree climbing, requires skill, patience, and a bit of courage. Once you get started the

reward is well worth it.

Encourage your troop mates and chaperons who join you on the course. Cheer each other on , help each other

�gure out the tricky paths , and see how high you can go as a team!

Get a sample of how arborists and rainforest researchers get around in trees by trying out the Ropes Course and Zip Line.

Arborists (tree surgeons) have to climb up into the trees to do much of their work. Working up high requires special equipment like harnesses, carabiners and other climbing gear. A good sense of balance is also essential. The Moody Gardens Ropes Course is a great way to learn how to �t a harness, practice your balance, and see the world from the tree tops.

Canopy research in the forest is a tricky task. Most of the plants and animals in the rainforest live in the treetops but how do scientists get up there to study them? Zip lines, walk ways, and ropes are just a few of the methods used to study one of the world’s most diverse ecosystems, the tree tops.

Explore Some More!

MAP: Moody Gardens

pg 11

Ropes Course and Zip Line

CADETTE: TREESNaturalist Badge Grades 6th-7th Helpful Extras

Jogging Trail

Rainforest Map: Moody Gardens

pg 12CADETTE: TREESNaturalist Badge Grades 6th-7th Helpful Extras

*Note: There are no restrooms inside the Rainforest exhibit. Restrooms are available just before you enter and immediately after exiting. Make sure to let younger troops visit the facilities before exploring the exhibit.

Butter�y platform

Treetop Canopy Walk

Otter Pool

Otter Overlook

RF Entrance Gallery Rain

chan

delie

r

Fruit bat enclosure

Top of Leaf Cutter Ant Trail Cloud Forest Gallery

Nocturnal Gallery Forest Floor

Asian ForestS. American Forest

African Forest

Amazon Pond

Mayan Ruins& Cenote

Butter�y Hatchery &Leaf Cutter Ant Nest

Exit Galleries ..............................................

Moodyscope & Giftshop