In December

Next week, Beth Waage will join the afternoon nature club. She is a naturalist, a mom and loves to teach preschoolers about nature. While the long-legged members of our group goes on our winter trek, Beth will help the youngest of our nature club with an indoor activity followed by a nature walk.

December is a good time of year to learn about conifers, or evergreen trees. The always green needle-shaped leaves, funky looking cones and smelly, sticky sap make conifers an interesting tree to study. I like going into a store at Christmas to see what trees look the best - spruce, fir or pine. Did you know that every acre of Christmas trees planted gives off enough oxygen to meet the needs of 18 people? Wow!

Conifers are also a good place to look for signs of animals. These big, furry trees protect birds, insects and other small animals from precipitation, cold temperatures and wind. So, as we look and learn about conifers, we might find out why these great trees are so important to nature's winter world.