Stop 6

Stop 6  Big Idea:  Nurse Stumps and Logs

         

What is happening with the stumps around here? Why are some of them hollow? Some have plants growing on them. They are called nurse stumps.

Nurse stumps are shelter for many animals:  worms, insects, salamanders, chipmunks, squirrels and many others. Insects, invertebrates and other small animals also help to decompose the stump. The decomposing stump turns into a rich soil where new plants can grow.                                                 

Stumps that are hollow are important homes for many animals. A woodpecker may start a small hole, and another animal will come along and make it larger.

As you walk down the trail look for other evidence of animals. You may see a tree that has been scratched by a raccoon or a squirrel's nest in a tree.

Beech Tree

New Beech Tree Leaf  (note spear-like bud)

Three reasons to like this tree. . .                              
Every 3 to 5 years, in the winter, produces lots of nuts that provide food for animals.
It is a deciduous (broad leaf) tree that has
some leaves that cling onto it during the winter.
Some Beech trees have lived to be 
over 3,000 years old! 

Mason and Kara