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Page Last Updated: Tuesday, 17 July 2012
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Home>Council Services>Environment>Gardens for Wildlife (G4W)>KinderGardens for Wildlife>>Milestones>Tall Trees
Why?
A mature tall tree native to your area can meet all the needs of the local wildlife, as it will provide insects, nectar, pollen, seed, nest sites, night roosts and hollows. Big trees containing hollows, whether living or dead, provide shelter and breeding sites for native bats, birds, possums, gliders and reptiles.
Over 25% of Australian birds need hollows that form in mature trees to nest in. Remember, a tree planted today will take over 100 years to form a natural hollow. By planting, retaining or maintaining a tree canopy within our playgrounds, a wide range of wildlife will be attracted to our gardens. The children and staff will also benefit by a significant reduction in the temperature during hot weather in and around our centres from the natural shade provided by these larger trees.
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| Criteria |
 | Retaining and maintaining some tall mature native trees |  | Planting indigenous shrubs and mulching area for at least a metre around the base of each tall tree to help aerate the soil, and improve the health of the tree |  | Check with arborist/bushland crew for unhealthy, dangerous trees or branches |  | Planting appropriate trees to provide future shade requirements |  | Provision of nest boxes if hollows unavailable |
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| Resource Kit Ingredients | | Teacher's Resources | |
 | Posters of trees |  | Large Tree Model for borrowing from Council Office with associated activities eg: making leaves; tree and leaf stories; affirmations about why trees are important; leaf wishes |  | Activity: Woodland Creatures: using gnarled tree stumps, branches, twigs, seed pods, etc.. as construction materials, extend with a ‘child dictated’ story |  | Discussion Information Card: Importance of tree hollows as habitats |  | Identification of tree weeds and why they need to be removed eg: cotoneasters (poisonous berries also) |  | Picture Storybooks including: The Giving Tree |  | Songs/songcards with illustrations |  | Poetry/rhymes |  | Information Card: The benefits of tall trees in your playground |  | Incursions: eg; Knox City Council Arborist; Placemakers/Knox Woodworkers |  | Excursions: eg; Melbourne Royal Botanical Gardens www.rbg.vic.gov.au |
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 | Finger puppet eg; spotted owl finger puppets |  | Large puppet: eg; Cockatoo hand puppet; Sugar Glider puppet |  | Games: eg; Tree hugging |  | Activity: tree measurement directions |  | Puzzles: Rainbow Lorikeet Puzzle, Who Lives in a Tree double layer puzzle |  | ‘Discovery Pack’ including binoculars, magnifying glasses, brush, scavenger hunt laminated sheet, clipboard, textas, journal |  | CD of photo’s, pictures, posters of bushland |  | Non-fiction resource book: eg; Trees; Parks and Gardens |
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| Click on images below for a larger view.
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