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| Fifteen Days of Spring Creating a Record of Spring Leaf-Out |
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| Spring can come on fast and strong, and before you blink, the season has changed. Create a permanent record of spring in your neighborhood as you measure, record, and observe tree leaves as they grow this spring. | |||||||||
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| Try Capturing Spring in a Book! | |||||||||
Begin your project just as leaves are starting to emerge in the spring. Choose a tree or bush you would like to observe. Mark your tree, and return every 2-3 days. Continue until your tree or bush is fully leaved out. With each entry, record:
Identify your tree or shrub. Record facts about it, and note it's approximate age. For larger tree with lots of leaves, collect a leaf each time you observe. Label leaves and press flat. Suggestions for making observations into permanent records are listed below. |
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| Credit: Vlad Borza | |||||||||
| Ribbons mark your observations. | |||||||||
| Book Ideas | |||||||||
| Leaf Print Book | |||||||||
1. Fold a long strip of paper into an accordian. 2. Use paint as your printing ink. 3. Practice applying paint to the backside of the leaf and printing onto scrap paper. 4. Print your leaves on your accordian pages. Print them in order from youngest to oldest. 5. Cut heavy paper to size, then glue accordian to make cover and back pages. |
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| Leaf Collection Book | |||||||||
| 1. Press collected leaves flat and label with date.
2. Make accordion books. Calculate how many pages (or folds) are needed for gluing in the pressed leaves. Lightly labeling the pages with pencil. 3. Apply a tiny amount of glue on the backs of the leaves and place into the accordion book. 4. Cut heavy paper for the cover and back pages. Arrange the accordion inside with glue to make it hold. 5. Label each page with the date and add weather or phenology details. |
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| Example Accordian Book | |||||||||
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| Other Ideas | |||||||||
There are many ways to create a permanent record of spring. Think about measuring, recording and photographing your leaves. Try drawing the growing leaves to their exact scale in your journal. Brainstorm all the ways you might creatively capture spring and give them a try!
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