Req 2 — Choose a Tree Investigation
You choose exactly one investigation for this requirement. Each option teaches you a different way to read evidence from trees: from the wood they produce, from the rings they grow, or from the damage they survive.
Your Three Options
Req 2a — Wood Samples & Uses: Build a small wood collection from 10 tree species and learn how different wood properties make species useful for flooring, furniture, tools, paper, fuel, and more. This option is great if you like comparing materials and learning practical uses.
Req 2b — Reading Tree Rings: Examine stumps, logs, or core samples and study ring patterns to understand growth rate. You will connect those rings to slope, aspect, elevation, moisture, and competition. This option is great if you enjoy clues, patterns, and how environment affects growth.
Req 2c — Tree Damage Detectives: Investigate real examples of animal, insect, or disease damage and explain what caused them and what they mean for the tree. This option is great if you are interested in forest health, pests, and ecology.
How to Choose
Choosing Your Option
Pick the one that matches your interests and your local access
- Time and setup: Req 2a takes collecting and labeling samples; Req 2b depends on finding useful stumps, logs, or cores; Req 2c depends on finding visible damage.
- Best location: Req 2a can work at home with gathered samples; Req 2b works best where cut wood or exposed cross-sections exist; Req 2c works best in woods, parks, or neighborhoods with living trees.
- Main skill you gain: Req 2a builds material knowledge; Req 2b builds pattern-reading and site interpretation; Req 2c builds forest health awareness.
- Connection to later requirements: Req 2b and Req 2c pair especially well with later work on forest management, hazard trees, and wildfire impacts.
Each option below has its own full page with practical guidance. Start with the first option, then skip to the one you want to complete.