Climb into the world of tall trees — the animals that call them home, and a simple trick for estimating how tall a tree really is.
A single large tree can be home to birds nesting in its branches, insects living in its bark, and squirrels running along its trunk — all at the same time, at different heights.
Why might different animals prefer to live at different heights on the same tree?
Different heights offer different safety from predators, access to sunlight or food, and shelter — so animals share the tree without competing for the same spot
You don't need to climb a tree to know roughly how tall it is. One simple way: compare the length of its shadow to the shadow of something you already know the height of, like a metre stick.
A 1-metre stick casts a 2-metre shadow. At the same time, a tree casts a 20-metre shadow. About how tall is the tree?
About 10 metres — the tree's shadow is 10 times longer than the stick's, so the tree is roughly 10 times as tall
1. Name one animal that might live in the branches of a tall tree.
2. What do you compare to estimate a tree's height using shadows?
3. A 1 m stick casts a 1.5 m shadow, and a tree casts a 15 m shadow at the same time. About how tall is the tree?
4. Why does this shadow method work?
5. Why might it be unsafe to climb a very tall tree without an adult's help?