Trees can be pets, too, at GMF

FALLS VILLAGE — Seven children braved the cold weather and impending snow at the Canaan Mountain Road offices of the Great Mountain Forest (GMF) on Saturday morning, Jan. 25, to choose the tree they would adopt.The children, some from nearby towns and some from a considerable distance, were there to start their nature journals, part of GMF’s ongoing educational outreach program.The idea was to learn a bit about tree basics first — inside, where it was warm. And then the group moved outside, through about 8 inches of accumulated snow, to look at actual trees and choose which one they would follow.Holly Torrant, a teacher from Morris, Conn., handled the initial bit, with assistance from GMF Forest Manager Jody Bronson; Business Manager and Program Coordinator Jean Bronson; and J.P. Barsky, a research technician and certified forester with the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.Barsky brought his two sons, Royal (age 11) and Simon (age 9).Torrant advised the children to use their senses and pay attention not only to how the trees look but also to how they feel and smell.She went through the basic differences between conifers (aka evergreens) and deciduous trees.Paige Dzenutis of Norfolk, age 9 and a veteran of the GMF nature journaling class, got in the swing of things immediately, copying Torrant’s Venn diagram in her journal.The students realized that in January, the major action would probably be with the conifers. “Evergreens don’t really change that much,” said Paige.Asked to find similarities between the two types of trees, the students brainstormed. “They all have branches,” said Simon.“They all have layers of bark,” noted Paige.Barsky helped the process along by noting that all trees have roots, and Simon piped up again, saying all trees produce oxygen.Jean Bronson said, in addition to sight and smell, the group might hear the trees — specifically, the branches creaking in the frigid and steady wind.And Jody Bronson told the children that the only truly native tree they would see is the balsam fir.“That means it wasn’t planted here from another area. It’s always grown here.”Barsky pointed to a Norway spruce through the window. “Why is it called a Norway spruce?”That was a gimme. “Because it’s from Norway,” said the children.