The Talking Tree field trip was a huge success. The weather wasn’t exactly warm but it didn’t rain us. The children listened intently to the woman dressed as a ‘Talking Tree’. She taught the importance of trees for the quality of the air we breath, the products we get from trees and the animals that rely on trees for their habitat and/or food. She was VERY engaging for the children to listen to; they especially enjoyed passing around her animal puppets. On the short hike, our guide, Chris, showed us a huge maple that had been struck by lightning and was charred on the inside of it’s trunk yet it was still living and branches with new green leaves were springing out from it’s sides. He also showed us a redwood and douglas fir. See the picture below where the kids are hugging the redwood? My favorite part of the field trip: We are in the woods, I’m holding the hand of one of our youngest. He’s looking up into the treetops, turning every which way. I whisper to him, “What do you see?” He answers with the question, “Where’s the Talking Tree?” I say, “But the lady inside who shared her puppets was the Talking Tree.” He looks at me, wide eyed and innocent, “But the REAL ONE, where’s the REAL ONE?” I don’t know if the look on his face was one of relief or of disappointment when I explained that the costumed lady was the only Talking Tree he was going to see.