Leaf and Tree Walks & Play Prep With Whales
/The Whales were treated to a special tour of the Pacific University campus by Dr. Stacey Halpern, a Pacific University biologist (and former ELC parent) who specializes in plants and trees. Whales learned to identify the difference between deciduous and evergreen trees, and did some hands-on exploration of some of the living fossil trees that grace our campus. Whales were surprised to learn that some species of trees they saw were around when the dinosaurs roamed the earth!
Prior to our leaf gathering walk later in the week, Whales learned the reason that leaves turn color and shed their leaves. We discovered that trees (just like animals) have a season of rest. To prepare for their winter rest, deciduous trees get rid of things they don’t need anymore (the chlorophyll that gives leaves their green color and produces food for the tree). We likened this “dumping” of chlorophyll to going to the bathroom before sleep. After the tree has “gone to the bathroom”, the brilliant colors underneath come shining through! Finally, the tree gets undressed before bed, because (just like us) a tree can’t undressed while it’s sleeping! That’s when the tree drops all its leaves right before the first frost sets in.
After our leaf walk, we put on our mathemeticians hats and sorted our leaves by a variety of different attributes. We presented our groupings to our Whale friends.
As if all this leaf and tree work were not enough, the Whales have been excitedly working on their Halloween play for next week! We designed tickets, created invitations, painted the backdrops, and began practicing on our stage. Whales know how to work hard, and they do amazing things together!
