At Cogitania’s Saturday Botany workshop fourth graders continued their exploration of the Boreal Forest as a followup to our field trip at the Arboretum. We learned where in the world conifers grow and at what elevations. We discussed the harsh weather conditions at high elevations and how conifers become Krumholz, stunted trees that grow on exposed mountain tops. We studied the advantages needles have over leaves and viewed needles under the microscope.

We turned our focus to seeds; took apart some female pine cones and found the seeds hiding inside. Finally, the students dissected several milkweed pods and began learning about seed dispersal.