YELLOWSTONE ARBORETUM
" Stewards of the Natural Environment "
Billings, Montana @ ZooMontana
GROUP ARBORETUM AND EDUCATIONAL TOUR MODULES
These modules are designed to be adjusted for content enhancement depending on the age group of the tour attendees. Age groups from 4th grade and higher are generally recommended by the Arbor Day Foundation and are the best groups for attention span and active questioning and participation. Handouts are also recommended for group attendees. Possible examples of those are included in this outline. Smart phone technology is recommended with the Leaf Snap (or other app) module which will also serve as an introduction to the arboretum website. Each module is designed to generate questions and member discussion.
MODULE 1 - Welcome & Introduction
What is an arboretum ?
Introduction to an arboretum and definition of an outdoor museum.
How an arboretum works and why we need arboretums.
Trees, arboretums and Carl Linnaeus.
MODULE 2 - Yellowstone Arboretum
History of the arboretum as it relates to the Zoo.
History of the arboretum trees.
What the arboretum does and why.
What the future holds for an arboretum
MODULE 3 - Benefits of Trees
Handouts from ISA
Discuss environmental value of trees with value pie charts that are found on our website.
What trees can do for humans.
What trees can do for a community
MODULE 4 - Urban Forestry
What is urban forestry?
Trees in your neighborhood.
Your own arboretum.
Find trees in your city parks.
Discover the different species of trees
MODULE 5 - Trees are like humans !?
Comparing the anatomy of trees.
The genetics of trees. A simple explanation.
Visual - Toba Hawthorn gone bad.
A "real" tree...Seed grown, Cultivar or cutting
MODULE 6 - Know Your Trees
Leaf and Bark I.D.
Barking up the wrong tree
Seasonal changes in treescape
Using phone apps to identify
MODULE 7 - Talking Trees
Fungi and wood wise web.
Mycorrizal networks.
Roots systems and what they do.
Dangers and diseases to trees.
MODULE 8 - Dendrochronology
Discovering the layers of trees
Determine the aging of trees
Phenology and herbariums and how they work.
Core sample demonstration.
MODULE 9 - The future of trees
Viewing of a riparian zone-Canyon Creek
Trees that need protection
Create your own ecosystem
Saving trees for future generations
MODULE 10 - Discovery Tour
During the module demonstrations the groups will be walking through the arboretum as aprt of the arboretum "Discovery Tour". Along the route (to be determined based on module selection) various "finds" will be discussed. Those included, but not subject to, would be the Lewis and Clark Collection, Foster Waterfowl native plant collection, Pinetum, Endangered Spruce Grove, Asian Collection, rare to Montana trees and unique specimens.