Woody Plants in Winter - A Self-guided Course

at Crellin Park & PS21 (Chatham), 15 January - 20 March 2022

Back by popular demand (well, at least our dog would really like some more long walks in the park, and one or two people said this was a tolerable experience!)

 

snow covered tree branch

 

We are going to repeat a version of the do-it-yourself winter botany course that we first offered last winter. You will be able to learn to identify common trees and shrubs in winter by visiting our self-guided tour at Crellin Park and adjacent PS21 land (Chatham, NY). The course is in three installments, and each segment has an indexed introductory video and associated learning materials. Crellin Park is a public town park open to all; and PS21 welcomes visitors. Unlike last winter, we are putting up the flagging for all three installments at the same time. We thank the Town of Chatham and PS21 for their collaboration on this.

 

Instructions:

This is a course to help you identify woody plants in Winter. It has an on-line, digital component and a set of field materials for you to visit in person. So, download or view the below course materials and then head out to Crellin Park (directions here) or adjacent PS21 (and here) and start visiting the trees!
 

Course Materials

Note that you can do the installments one at a time or all at once. This year, we're putting all the flags up simultaneously, but we'll retain the three-installment structure so that you can pace your learning if that works best for you. The three installments involve trees flagged in three different colors: the flags of the first installment are pink, those of the second are yellow, and those of the third are decked in green.

 

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Installment #1 (PINK FLAGGING):

Includes - American Sycamore, Northern Red Oak, Sugar Maple, Eastern Hemlock, Hop-Hornbeam, Musclewood, Eastern White Pine, Red Maple & White Oak.

  • Watch this indexed video introducing our general approach and the first trees we will learn (our "First Friends"); this video, filmed at Crellin Park, will walk you through each tree, providing identification tips and sometimes a little bit of history. (To find the index, click on the video link and then scroll down below the video window and click "show more".) In 2020, we also put together a blog post that summarizes many (but not all!) of the points covered in the video.
  • Download the first deck of ID cards (.pdf; see below, this set only contains cards for the first nine, pink-flagged trees; these cards are not in the same order as the flagged trees, in case you want to use all flagged trees as a self-quiz).
  • Download this map (.pdf) showing the location of the flagged trees at Crellin Park.
  • Visit Crellin Park and start looking for those pink, numbered flags. There are 15 flagged trees in the first set - these include nine study trees (labelled #1-9) whose identifications are on the backside of the map plus six additional flagged trees (labelled as Q #10-15) which are meant for self-quizzing. Quiz answers are below; these are all species included in your study trees.
  • Identifications of the pink-flagged quiz trees (.pdf); don't open until you've done the field quiz!
  • Do you use Google Earth or other programs that can read .kmz files? If so, here's a .kmz file of the pink-flagged tree locations. (Don't worry if you don't know what to do with this link - it's just an extra! But, if you're so inclined, here are some helpful instructions provided by a user "To find the trees with your phone. Download Google Earth (Android) (iPhone), then click this link from your phone browser. The kmz file will download to your phone. Click "Open". To find the file in Google Earth; Click the Menu Bars->Click Projects->Click your Farmscape kmz file." Enjoy!)

 

Installment #2 (YELLOW FLAGGING):

Includes: Grey Birch, Trembling Aspen, Big-tooth Aspen, White Birch, Eastern Cottonwood, American Beech, Black Birch, White Ash, Black Cherry, Red Cedar.

  • Watch this indexed video. As with the first video, this one will walk you through the next batch of flagged trees at the Park, now bedecked in yellow. (To find the index, click on the video link and then scroll down below the video window and click "show more".) Here's the accompanying blog posting if you prefer that format (or are really into this).
  • Download the second batch of ID cards (.pdf, this contains the ID cards for both the first and second installments, however the page numbers are not in the same order as the flag numbers, in case you want to do all flagged trees as a self-quiz.) If you have already printed out the first set of ID cards and want only the second batch, those can be downloaded here.
  • Download this map (.pdf), it shows the locations of the pink- and yellow-flagged trees at the Park. It also provides the identifications of all flagged study trees, including those of the first batch.
  • Visit Crellin Park and start looking for those yellow, numbered flags. There are 16 flagged trees in the second batch - these include 10 study trees (labelled #16-25) whose identifications are on the second page of the map plus six additional flagged trees (labelled as Q #26-31) which are meant for self-quizzing. Quiz answers are downloadable below.
  • Identifications of the first two sets of quiz trees (.pdf), don't peak! These are all species included in your study trees, but the second set of quiz trees includes some species from the first batch (we don't want you forgetting those).
  • Do you use Google Earth or other programs that can read .kmz files? If so, here's a .kmz file of the yellow-flagged tree locations. (Again, don't worry if you don't know what to do with this.)

 

Installment #3 (GREEN FLAGGING):

Includes: Staghorn Sumach, Willow, White Mulberry, Shagbark Hickory, American Elm, Hawthorn, European Buckthorn, Toringo Crabapple, Grey Dogwood, Multiflora Rose, Slippery Elm & Witch-hazel.

  • Watch this indexed video. This will introduce you to the woody plants included in the last, green-flagged installment. There are some fun ones (Who me, biased?). (To find the index, click on the video link and then scroll down below the video window and click "show more".) And here's the last blog posting, which touches on many of the same themes.
  • Download the third batch of ID cards (.pdf, this contains the ID cards for all installments, however the page numbers are not in the same order as the flag numbers, in case you want to do all flagged trees as a self-quiz.) If you have already printed out the first sets of ID cards and want only the last batch, those can be downloaded here.
  • Download this map (.pdf), it shows the locations of those trees in the last installment only (if you want to see the location of trees in the first two installments, then use this map; .pdf). It also provides the identifications of all flagged study trees in the last batch.
  • Visit Crellin Park and PS21 and start looking for those green, numbered flags. There's a total of 19 flagged trees in the last set - these include 12 study trees (labelled #32-43) and seven quiz trees (#44-50). Quiz answers are downloadable below.
  • Identifications of all the quiz trees to date (.pdf), These are all species included in your study trees, but the quiz trees of later installments include some species from earlier batches (just to keep you on your toes).
  • Here's that .kmz file of the green-flagged trees in case you use Google Earth or other programs that can read such files (By now aren't you curious to know how you can use these files? If so, see the instructions posted under the pink-flagged installment.)

 

Installment #4 (ORANGE FLAGGING)

includes: Red Osier Dogwood, Chestnut Oak, Bitternut Hickory, Buttonbush, Black Locust, Grape Vine and American Basswood.

Just to keep this interesting, we've added seven winter 2022 exclusives with hope of expanding your botanical repertoire. Please find some resources below, there are no quiz trees or ID cards for this installment.

  • Watch this indexed video. This is a potpourri of the big, small and the twisted.
  • Download this map (.pdf file) and table of the plants included in this group. Please read the notes in the table - some of these orange flags are slightly 'off trail'.
  • Consult this blog with ID tips for this set.
  • Here's another file for those of you doing phone naviation: .kmz file of the orange-flagged treesThis only shows the seven plants of this installment.

 

Another general resource:

One of the key frames of mind for identifying woody plants in winter is to know the actors - who might you be seeing? This resource summarizes our local woody plant fauna; it includes some basic identification tips. It is a slightly updated version of a document I made for a previous iteration of this course.

 

 

General Schedule:

We plan to have all flags in place by 15 January 2022. All flags will stay up until the 20th of March. We'll try to check on them regularly, but if you notice missing flags, please let us know.

This year, COVID allowing, we plan to offer a masked, well-distanced set of walks to accompany this course. In order to permit adequate spacing, this course will be limited to 10 people. The course is free, but registration is required. The course will meet on the following dates, and each section will cover a different one of the three installments mentioned below:

  • Saturday, Jan. 29, 1-3pm (Crellin Park, Chatham)
  • Saturday, Feb. 12, 1-3pm (Crellin Park, Chatham)
  • Saturday, Feb. 26, 1-3pm (PS21, Chatham)

Please contact us if you would like to register. Attending this course is NOT a prerequisite for using the do-it-yourself course, it's just an added bonus.

 

A Note on the ID Cards:

Notice that the virtual stack of ID cards is cumulative. In other words, the deck for installment #1, includes only the first nine trees. But the deck for installment #2 includes those nine trees plus the ten additional trees for installment #2. Finally, the deck for installment #3 includes the cards for all three installments. This is done so that you are not overwhelmed with unfamiliar trees from the get go, but, at the same time, you have a single source for your growing knowledge bank.

In the sad spirit of the moment, we are presenting much of this virtually. Our goal is that you will be able to complete this course on your own with the help of a smart phone or tablet. Of course, you can also download and print out materials at home. We also have a few of ye olde hard copies of the ID cards. These are plasticized and available on loan or for purchase (at cost for $20). A few of the species included in the last installment are absent for the hard copies. Contact us if you would like to arrange for the well-distanced Chatham pick up of a set.

 

Questions and Problems:

WE ARE GLAD TO HELP! Email us with questions or problems. If you're struggling with an unknown tree, please send a close-up photograph of its buds.

WE NEED YOUR HELP! I will try to visit the route regularly to make sure all flags are still in place. However, if you are convinced a flag is missing, please email us and let me know which number has gotten lost. Wind, ice, squirrels, etc. can all work to remove flagging. Also, if you notice the inevitable mistake(s?) in the materials or just have questions or comments, please don't hesitate to get in touch.

 

Additional Resources:

We have offered various versions of this course over the years (but never in a self-guided mode), and so we have a general resources page that provides some additional cheat sheets and images that we have created. Below is a listing of some of our favorite resources created by others. We each have our own way of learning, so take a look at several field guides and find what works best for you.

  • Core & Ammons is what I used when first trying to learn winter buds and is free on-line. It has basic but functional diagrams of buds, but it doesn't give you such a good idea of the whole tree.
  • Unless you already know your summer trees well, it's probably best to start out with a book that has information not only on winter buds, but also on twigs, seeds/fruit, bark, leaves and form. A little ecology and use information would be great too. Our favorite all-around tree ID book remains Trees of the Northern United States and Canada by Farrer, but it can be expensive even when used.
  • Trees of the Eastern and Central United States and Canada by Harlow is an oldie but a goodie. It doesn't have the range maps and color images of Farrar, but the B&W images are functional, and it contains much good information; it's also cheaper. It was my first general tree guide.
  • The Peterson Field Guide to Trees and Shrubs: Northeastern and north-central United States and southeastern and south-central Canada by Petrides is also a fine workhouse; the older edition with trees AND shrubs seems more useful to me, because it includes those shrubs, unlike the previous two books.
  • We would highly recommend that if you use a smart phone or ipad, you download the free VTree app for apple or android; it can be used off-line and has plenty of good images and ID info.
  • The Northern Forest Atlas project provides tremendous, free on-line resources. Their web site is worth some dedicated browsing. Most immediately applicable to this course is probably their free downloadable bud poster. You'll recognize some of those images from our bud cards, since they graciously permitted us to use them.

 

Thanks, we hope you have fun - Conrad & Claudia (fep@hawthornevalleyfarm.org).