Week #3 - Observing Nature - Function Lens

This was a very interesting way to look at my natural surroundings this week.

Because of the wealth of humanity in my normal locations, I documented my experiences in the original space on campus as well as a small field trip to my parent's backyard in Edina, MN where things are budding up in their own different way.

I had a lot of fun documenting something that I never really considered before: birch bark.

Aesthetically, birch bark is beautiful to me. The patterns of the negative space within the white and black of them is hypnotizing and it never fails to be an interesting organic form. Lots of times I see eyes staring back at me through the markings in the bark.

I am going off of my Learning Through Observation Worksheet in numbers:

1) I see white birch trees that are slight and bare. No leaves on the branches and small seeds clinging to the branches. The seeds are dried up and puckered. The white birch has a lovely texture and “eyes” that break up the white space. On the bark of the tree itself it is peeling slightly showing the pink underside of the bark and the “flesh” of the tree. I feel that this process is in order to shed the winter skin, give way of the hard wrapper that protected the tree all winter and starting fresh, like a crab shedding its shell. Through this, I can assume that it’s not only preparing for the warmer season, but also creating an additional ply it its already strong bark which protects it. Through peeling, the bark it flayed and hardened again to create more protection for the next cold season.

2) The seasons and the potential of animals or people peeling the bark off. When I was little, I loved peeling the bark off of birch trees to use as a kind of parchment paper. That is, until my Mum told me it hurt the tree, then I stopped, of course. I could see deer and bugs eating and burrowing into the bark of the tree causing harm. Could this possibly be that the bark that it can stand to lose it flayed so that whatever might be eating it would take the less valuable bark, and not the bark that’s protecting the core of the tree?

3) I would say that peeling is a different way to approach a seasonal change. But then again, many trees release their bark as new layers are grown. I think that lots of trees shed their bark over time in order to thicken their skin for the next season as they get bigger and stronger. The loose bark is unnecessary as the tree sheds and it less of a detriment to the tree if it is eaten or pulled off.

4) This is something that occurs in the crustacean world! Crabs and shellfish often shed their too small shells and either grow new ones or seek out new homes via other discarded shells or other vessel forms.

Much like the birch tree, there is a large oak tree that has bark peeling off in large chunks and regenerating new bark underneath.

Composting! What things lose that are organic in their cellular make-up can be used as nutrients for the same or other growing trees and plants. The lost bark could be used in mulch or ground up into a sustainable and recyclable fertilizer for other plants. Compost heaps. They are everywhere now and such a good idea when it comes to disposing of organic matter. Even coffee grounds!

5) AskNature.com for sure. I would even look into the National Geographic archives to see what I can find about trees and their growth patterns.

I would contact a tree biologist or get back into contact with the Haas family who I worked with over a summer at their tree nursery in North Dakota. They work with every kind of tree!

Why do trees really shed their bark? In case I didn’t get it right.

The trees were shedding only very slightly. In tiny little bits. The bark was crunchy and light, barely a millimeter thick and when peeled off, the simply floated to the ground. The texture of the bark that was still tough was hard and thick, very hard to peel off.

These were some of the seedlings that were coming off of the birch tree. They were very dry and hard and if they were shaken, the seeds would fall out onto the ground as they weren't held in there very well.

I love the lightness of the strands coming off of this indian grass. So light and airy that if the wind caught it it would almost dance around the branch. Very pretty.

And yes, my parent's cat Gracie was happy to help me in my quest for lovely nature around us.

Here are some sketches that I had done. I only had a green marker with me but it ended up being way better because I could get the textures really well from the branches. Especially the birch bark!

Thank you!

Mary N.