At Ronald Bog there is a little known tree park, its called the
Pacific Northwest Conifer Arboretum. Unlike the Monty Python
episode about trees, you will learn about more than just a larch
tree. However, the park does have a larch! If you do not get the
Larch references, you have not seen that episode. The park has more
than 25 species of evergreen trees from the Pacific Northwest.
I have attached a map of the park that you will see at the
listed coordinates, but with the names cleared out. All you have to
do is find the tree name associated with those numbers and use the
tree guide on the back of the sign to answer the following
questions about the trees you are looking into. All the answers are
on the sign itself. Enjoy this little known park in the City of
Shoreline.
The final is not in Ronald Bog am sorry to say, so you will have
a small drive to the final. However, there will be plenty of
coniferous trees around you, which is fitting i would say. The
final is at a deciduous tree however you will see many conifers on
the way.
A. Tree #1 has fruit characterized by the following:
1) upright, cylindrical cones, 3-4" long
3) small, woody cones, smooth scales
5) extremely hard, egg-shaped, 2-3" long
7) tiny winged nuts borne on a disintegrating cone about 1"
long
9) small red "berry" with a single large seed
B. Tree #2 has twigs characterized by the following:
0) terminal buds are round, clustered and slightly pitchy
2) each needle is borne on a square, raised, woody peg
4) conspicuous pegs where needles occur
6) moderately stout, many short shoots
8) long and drooping
C. Tree #3 has needles characterized by the following:
1) white on both top and bottom surfaces
3) stink when crushed
5) 2 needles per bundle (clustered)
7) needle-like, sharp pointed leaves about 1/2 inch long
9) scale-like and appressed to twig
D. Tree #4 has needles characterized by the following:
0) star-like appearance on short roots
2) dark green above and lighter green below
4) occurs in bundles of 5
6) about 1" long with a blunt tip
8) shaped like a double-edged sword
E. Tree #5 has bark characterized by the following:
1) dark with irregular plates, about 1" think
3) flaky when young, reddish brown when mature
5) gray and stringy, often pulling away from tree
7) greenish-gray outer bark sheds and exposes chalky inner
bark
9) dark and scaly
F. Tree #6 has bark characterized by the following:
0) brown, fibrous and ridged
2) thin, purple and scaly
4) reddish brown and furrowed
6) flakes off in jigsaw puzzle-like pieces
8) remains gray throughout its life
The final is located at
47 46.ABC
122 20.DEF
Check sum of all the numbers is 57
if you do not want to print out the map, use this key.
#1 is the purple dot, there are 3 of them scattered through the
park. #2 has 2 grey circles connected with a line
#3 has 2 pink circles connected by a line, #4 is in the triangle of
red circles but the one that is not connected.
#5 an isolated light green circle south of the trail, and #6 has 2
yellow circles, connected with a line
