Bark ID: Get to Know Your Trees

Why do some species have smooth bark, while on others it is thick and broken? Why does bark peel? The traits typically used to describe trees—leaves, twigs, and buds—are often hard to see or seasonally absent. Bark, on the other hand, is visible in any season. In this course, through presentations, activities, and field observations, you'll become familiar with unrecognized bark patterns and learn to use them to identify tree species, and discover the importance of the variety of bark characteristics.