Three Cheers for Trees

Did you know there is a coffee farm in the National Zoo Bird House, full of beautiful trees, plants, and birds?! Come explore this magical oasis with the help of Pinky Jackalope and her friend, animal keeper Daniel.

Explore this story of the Jefferson Tree, a very special kind of tree that grows along the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Learn about what makes it special and how it has helped researchers understand a specific tree disease. 

Discover how syrup is made, starting with the sap of a tree and ending with the sweet, golden-colored liquid often used for pancakes, waffles, and other treats!

Bring the outside indoors with this "shopping list" of items you can use to build a nature play area in your classroom!

Trees do so much for us; they provide beauty, shade, and the air we breathe! However, it’s easy to walk by a tree without giving it a second thought. Use these “Meet a Tree” questions to structure a guided observation of a tree with young learners.

Screech owls may be tiny and cute, but they’re also tree experts! Join Keeper Sarah and Pinky Jackalope to discover how screech owls make their homes in tree cavities and use their feathers to perfectly camouflage with the bark, helping them hide from larger animals.

Join Pinky Jackalope as she journeys across the Smithsonian to discover trees — both outside in nature and in gardens, and even inside the museums! Whether it's a tall oak tree growing next to the National Museum of American History or a sculpture of a tree inside the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Pinky will learn what makes each tree so special to the Smithsonian and to the world!

Explore the wonders of the natural world through the songs of the First Lady of Children’s Music, Ella Jenkins! This series of activities uses Ella Jenkins' music to explore tree types and features with fun activities like singing about trees and going on a tree walk. Enjoy a free playlist of songs about trees from Smithsonian Folkways Recording while you are learning!

Take a Hue Hike with Pinky at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center and Smithsonian Gardens. Discover the colorful nature that surrounds you, whether in a forest or even in a city!

Learn to identify colors while engaging with the beauty of nature in this hands-on activity! Just like humans, animal friends need to eat, including pollinators, who find their food inside of flowers. Pollinators are drawn to some colors more than others, and this helps them decide which flowers to visit when they get hungry. In this activity, help six pollinator friends find some of their favorite flowers so they can eat and help new flowers grow!