Name: Winter Walk for Tree ID Field Experience
Start: 2025-02-22T10:00:00-05:00
End: 2025-02-22T12:00:00-05:00
Location: Towson University - Glen Complex

Winter Walk for Tree ID Field Experience

Boots, gloves, winter tree key. Check! Time to learn about woody plant ID from Dr. Vanessa Beauchamp, associate professor in botany at Towson University. This field experience challenges us to look beyond the leaves and focus on other features used to distinguish tree species. Let’s learn about bark texture, leaf buds, and leaf and bundle scars that vary from species to species. Peek into the pith of a twig to see how its chambers help us identify species. And look up to observe the canopy shape and branching patterns while we walk about Glen Arboretum. We will use a dichotomous winter tree key, learning the parts of the branch and their roles. If you’re wondering how a dichotomous key works, please see the first page posted in the photos section of this description. Printed keys will be available for use.
Our hike will end inside the Science Building at the botany lab. Stations will be available to practice identifying sample branches using the supplied key.