Those with children (young and old) may like to print the activity sheet before leaving home and bring a crayon and some tape with them to do bark rubbings and take a fallen leaf from the tree.
Silver birch(Betula Pendula)
The silver birch is medium sized tree native to Britain and Europe. Silver birch have deep roots which bring otherwise inaccessible nutrients into the tree. These nutrients are then recycled on to the soil surface when the tree drops its leaves in autumn. Therefore the silver birch can be used to improve soil quality for other plants to grow..
Height Up to 15 - 25m tall
Trunk diameter: Generally under 40cm
Bark: The bark on the trunk and branches is golden-brown at first, but turns to white as a result of papery tissue developing on the surface and peeling off in flakes. The bark remains smooth until the tree gets quite large. The bark of older trees thickens, becoming irregular, dark and rugged.
Leaves: Roughly triangular with double serrated edges. They turn yellow before they fall in autumn
In early Celtic mythology, the birch symbolised renewal and purification. Bundles of birch twigs were used to drive out the spirits of the old year, and gardeners still use the birch besom, or broom, to 'purify' their gardens. It is also used as a symbol of love and fertility. In Scottish Highland folklore, a barren cow herded with a birch stick would become fertile, and a pregnant cow would bear a healthy calf.