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Science In A Tree
Climb a Tree and Learn Cool Science | ||||||
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School Information
How long is the Science in a Tree program? How many students can participate? The standard lesson format is 3 hours long and covers one class of up to 24 students. The kids will work together in groups with 12 climbers ascending the tree and 12 scientists on the ground running the experiments. Halfway through, they switch activities so everyone gets to enjoy the full Science in a Tree experience. We typically do 2 lessons or classes per day, broken into a morning session and an afternoon session, with the full event extending over multiple days. An example schedule for a 3-day program covering 6 class sessions is shown below.  OPTIONS: The Science in a Tree program is designed to be flexible. We can easily work with small or large schools and multiple grade levels; we can also cover a different science topic for each class. For example, a 3-day climbing event at a typical high school could include one Physics class studying air resistance & computer modeling, two Biology classes measuring the carbon content of the tree, and three Physical Science classes experimenting with pendulums & oscillations. Whereas at a large elementary school, a similar event might be three 5th grade classes studying falling objects and three 3rd grade classes learning about seed dispersal. |
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How much does the program cost? Does this include the cost to setup the tree? The Science in a Tree program is a nonprofit educational initiative. We try to keep the costs as low as possible while still maintaining the sustainability of the program. Our mission is to get as many kids climbing trees and learning science as we can regardless of their circumstances. If the fee schedule shown below is beyond your school's current budget, please contact us anyway and let us know you are interested in Science in a Tree. We will do our best to find a solution that works for everyone, for example, by focusing on a more limited climbing program or working together to raise the necessary funds. We also encourage schools to think big and consider doing a larger program. Whether it is a collaboration with multiple grade levels or a joint program with another school in your district, it is more efficient for everyone and we are happy to share these savings with you.  TREE PREP: For the on-campus program, we travel to your school in advance to prepare the tree for climbing activities. This typically takes a day or more of work and includes an overall assessment of the tree's health, the removal of any dead or damaged limbs, and preparing safe anchor points for attaching the ropes. All of the tree-prep work is done under the direct supervision of our certified arborist, Guy Mott. He will also do a thorough series of safety inspections before every program to certify the tree as "safe for climbing". The tree prep and safety inspections are a tremendous value included with all of our programs at no additional charge. So along with 50 or more smart & happy kids, your school gets a beautiful & safe tree maintained by top-of-the-line professionals. |
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Can you do Science in a Tree at our school? What if our campus doesn't have a
good climbing tree? If there are one or more suitable climbing trees on your campus, we can do Science in a Tree at your school. The pictures below show examples of trees used in previous events. One of the really neat things about doing the program on-site is that the kids get to name the tree and tell stories to their family & friends about their climbing experience each time they see it again. It is not uncommon for students to become literal tree-huggers after an event as they begin to appreciate the many wonderful things that trees do for us and the planet.
For schools that lack an appropriate climbing tree, there are several alternative options available. First, we would be happy to host a field trip at one of our local sites. For example, we currently have climbing trees setup with our friends at EarthDance Farms and The Grove House in Ferguson and at Camp Wyman in Eureka. Second, most districts have good trees on at least one of their affiliated campuses and sharing a climbing experience with multiple education levels is an attractive option. Finally, we are always looking for additional sites to setup climbing trees and we're open to suggestions such as local parks, national forests, and nearby schools & churches. |
