A Short Guide to Trees and Tree Identification

Who doesn't like sitting under a tree on a beautiful summer morning?  From buds and leaves to acorns, branches, and bark, this course will expand your appreciation of the trees around you and show you how their various features can help put a name to what you see.  Among the fascinating things you'll learn are why a tree with a trunk that's 50% hollow can still be considered perfectly healthy, why the maximum height any tree can attain is a little over 400 feet, and why botanists technically classify walnuts and peaches as the same type of fruit (a drupe).  Several class sessions will include walks around the Washington College campus to observe some of its many wonderful specimen trees.

 

Participants who already own a guidebook on trees are encouraged to bring it to class.  For those looking to purchase one, three recommended books that will be briefly discussed in the first class are the National Audubon Society Field Guide to Trees — Eastern Region (ISBN 978-0394507606), the National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Trees of North America (ISBN 978-1402738753), and The Sibley Guide to Trees (ISBN 978-0375415197).

JEFF COOMER is a Washington College graduate who retired to Chestertown after a career as a technology executive in the corporate world.  A certified Master Naturalist and former Virginia Tree Steward, he currently serves on the Chestertown Tree Committee and volunteers at Adkins Arboretum.