Step into the woods and uncover the hidden stories of Connecticut’s forests! In this hands-on outdoor adventure, students become forest ecologists, exploring how trees adapt, survive, and shape the ecosystems around them. Through field investigations, scavenger hunts, and up-close observations, students will learn to identify trees by their leaves, bark and some seeds, uncover the secrets of forest layers, learn about succession and discover how abiotic and biotic components all play a role in forest health. From towering trunks to tiny fungi, every part of the forest has something to contribute—come find out how it all connects!

By the end of the session, students will be able to:

• Identify and classify trees using leaves, bark samples and field guides; describe their role in different forest layers.
• Investigate how environmental factors (weather, soil, etc) influence tree growth and forest composition and forest structure.
• Observe tree adaptations for survival, reproduction, and ecological roles.
• Assess forest health and identify evidence of ecological disturbances and stages of succession.
• Explore the interrelationships between trees, wildlife, and forest layers of a forest ecosystem.
• Distinguish between biotic and abiotic components in a forest ecosystem and explain how abiotic factors influence living organisms and overall forest dynamics.
• Examine how trees and plants contribute to energy flow and matter cycling including nutrient recycling and food web relationships (producers, consumers and decomposers.