OUTDOOR MISSION

Bark Rubbings & Tree Heights

Lesson 12.2 — Rubbings & Heights

🦁

Kitimu says: "Trees are like fingerprints — every species has a different bark pattern! Today you're going to capture those patterns AND learn how to measure a tree without climbing it. Grab your crayons and let's get creative. Let's go, Cub!"

🎒 What You Need

5 sheets of plain paper

Crayons (dark colours work best)

A straight stick (arm-length)

Measuring tape or string

Pencil & notebook

Your worksheet

📋 How To Do It

Choose 5 different trees: Walk around your garden, park, or school grounds and pick 5 trees that look like they have different bark. Smooth bark, rough bark, peeling bark — variety is the goal!
Make your bark rubbings: Hold a sheet of paper flat against the trunk. Rub the side of your crayon firmly across the paper. Watch the bark pattern appear like magic! Label each rubbing with the tree's name (if you know it) or a description.
Compare your collection: Lay all 5 rubbings side by side. Which bark is smoothest? Roughest? Can you see ridges, scales, or flaky patterns? Trackers use bark to identify trees — and now so can you.
Measure a tree's height — the stick method: Stand far back from a tree. Hold your stick at arm's length so the top of the stick lines up with the top of the tree and your thumb marks the base. Turn the stick sideways (keeping your thumb at the tree base). Get a friend to walk from the tree trunk to where the stick tip points — measure that distance. That's roughly the tree's height!
Record your results: On your worksheet, stick or draw your best bark rubbings and write down each tree's estimated height. You've just used two real field techniques!

Ranger Tip: The stick method works because of a clever geometry trick — when you hold the stick at arm's length, it creates a triangle that matches the tree's triangle. Real rangers and foresters use this trick all the time!

Safety note: Watch out for thorns, ants, or spiders on tree trunks before pressing your paper against the bark. Always wash your hands afterwards.