Trees! How to go about learning them.

[mattyuke]

Hi I'm only 15 but I love spending my weekend outside in forests collecting food, tinder anything new to me really, and making allsorts of things fires, bivvies etc. I'm really intrested in improving my knowledge on trees because, to be honest its shameful, but apart from collecting leaves to and from school then looking them up in a tree book later.

Has anybody got a good idea to go about learning trees, because its a vital part of bushcraft and I feel I should know them.

Cheers

Matt

 

[sandbender]

The Collins Gem Book of Trees is worth having in your pocket.

Additionally, carry a notebook, collect a leaf or sketch the parts from any tree you cannot identify and look them up later.

 

[mattyuke]

I've got one of mushrooms and thats very good, was using it this weekend in fact, thanks ill have a look out for one.

 

[Shewie]

Take along a good pocket sized field guide and just try to positively ID one or two at a time. Once you've got those cracked move onto more. That's kind of how I did it, along with leaf samples and a few notes and photos. It's a tricky time right now as most of the leaves have fallen but still a good time to get stuck in.

The Woodland Trust do a useful booklet which you can stick in a pocket, the FSC do swatches as well which are really good.

This website is a good one for helping to ID

 

[ex-member Raikey]

main thing is , be patient, and just get in amongst them, (tree's that is!)

it will come mate, the best part is always the learning,...

 

[mattyuke]

Thanks I like to think I've go the basics. I'll get my hands on a pocket book, and I do get out in the trees often, walking to school etc I check them all. I'll get there.

 

[Mesquite]

Don't forget to make a note of the location your 'ident' trees.

Reason being you want to go back to them at different times of the year to see the difference the seasons have upon them. That way you'll know how to identify them regardless of the time of year

 

[ex-member Raikey]

we planted a Spindle tree on some local park land (with the guidance and permission of the council) to mark the birth of my daughter,...

she's nearly ten, so we went to look for it,...i thought i,d plotted it quite well, and i cannot find it anywhere,

so not to worry,..i cant even I.D a tree i planted me sen less than a mile from me house,..

 

[Shewie]

Don't forget to make a note of the location your 'ident' trees.

Reason being you want to go back to them at different times of the year to see the difference the seasons have upon them. That way you'll know how to identify them regardless of the time of year

Google Maps is a good resource fr plotting your findings. You can create and add information to your own local area, pretty clever stuff really

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TftFnot5uXw

 

[demographic]

I have a copy of the Collins Gem tree book and also THIS which I personally think is a lot better field guide.

Then there's THIS which is a brilliant book but its too big to carry about in a pocket.

 

[Peter_t]

I have a copy of the Collins Gem tree book and also THIS which I personally think is a lot better field guide.

Then there's THIS which is a brilliant book but its too big to carry about in a pocket.

i have the seccond book and it is the really good.

the easiest way to learn is to wander around with someone who knows their trees and lean from them but this is not always posable.

latin names can be confusing but if you can lean the characteristics of different genuses it is very helpfull. for example you may know wild cherry, prunus avium and you find another tree with similar bark with lenticils, alternately placed leaves etc. you can identify it as a prunus then when you look in your book you can narrow down your search.
the prunus genus contains cherries, plums, apricot, peach, laurel, sloe and almond and once you can identify one the others come easily.


do as others on here do, take pictures and ask people on here


pete

 

[BarryG]

Keep a camera in your pocket when you go to the woods fella. I find it useful for armchair research/ comparing images on the internet, or even uploading the difficult ones on here for assistance.

 

[Whittler Kev]

and also THIS which I personally think is a lot better field guide.

1p +£2.75 postage on Amazon- mines on it's way

 

[mace242]

I think I'm repeating some good advice but these three will do you good. The colins gem tree book, a camera (I always have mine with me) and notebook. Also when you take pictures, take the whole tree, a branch and some leaves. Learn how to describe a tree, things like opposite, palmate, etc. Where are you in somerset, as there are a few of us around Yeovil and one or more of us will be able to give hints. Oh one last note and handy as the seasons are changing, if you can Id a tree in the winter you're doing well.

 

[ganstey]

I asked a similar question a couple of years ago, and can confirm that the above advice is excellent. Also, when you come across a tree you don't know, work out what are its identifying features to you. When I started trying to identify trees I found that the things that were obvious to me weren't mentioned in the books at all.

I'm slowly building up my knowledge by learning one tree at a time, and not moving on to the next one until I have a very clear idea of how I can identify it.

Good luck!

 

[BarryG]

................Oh one last note and handy as the seasons are changing, if you can Id a tree in the winter you're doing well.

Memorising the location of the trees that you identified in the summer, or even marking their locations on a map, may help.

 

[Callum]

Hi matt

You could take a trip to an arboretum if there's one nearby. The trees are usually labelled so you can practice using your ID book and then checking to see if you're right. The only problem is that they contain a lot of exotic species which you're unlikely to come across in the local woods.

Callum

 

[mattyuke]

Thanks for all this good advice. The collins pocket book of trees or whatever its called is on its way and the trees are starting to be mapped out.

 

[Whittler Kev]

I just had the Larousse one arrive - 1p from Amazon- and I agree its LOADS better - I've now got both and still working on identification

 

[secdean]

Iv studied forestry for about 5 years now, and its true once you get all year round branch samples (or visit the tree) by winter you can identify by a twig. But its like any skill and easy to lose if not kept up. I love the collins guides, any book giving a winter outline of the tree is always a good book.
Nowadays I only focus on the common/native types, Barks always a good ID peice not to be forgotten.