Winter Twig Workshop: Tree and Shrub Identification Demystified

Open home and wild landscapes in winter to the joy and satisfaction of taking a closer look at the dormant structures of woody plants. Learn hands-on what to look for, simple tools, and how to identify trees in winter. With fresh twigs from town locations, we’ll study species together to nail down morphology, keys, and other tools, then branch out as you practice your skills on any trees and shrubs from our wild flora that we’ll have on hand or specimens you have brought. If you’d like to apply skills practiced in the workshop in the woods, sign up for the Saturday Sullivan Woods tree walk (led by Daniel Brooks)!

We will provide plant material, hand lenses, dissecting microscopes, and handouts with morphology terms and illustrations, keys, and resources for later reference.
Students, these are all optional as we’ll have tools and specimens you’ll need, but you might like to bring items you’ll find useful to continue identifying twigs at home – a pocket knife, clippers, notebook, pen, Sharpie, LED headlamp or flashlight, hand lens (10x preferably), a plastic lidded container > 4” x 8” x 2”, and any carrier for these things. You might like to bring one more thing – a twig from one or more natural (wild established) trees or shrubs. Is there a wild woody plant on your land or that you’ve seen on a walk that you’d like to identify? Try identifying it at the workshop. Bring a live >12” stem with several live (not dry and brittle) buds, a photograph of the plant if possible, and a few notes about its size, form (shrub or tree), bark, and its environment.

The class will be a 3-hour workshop. We've designated it a 90 minute course because we know that may suit some schedules best, and we'll be laying all the groundwork for describing twig morphology and identifying species early. But many of you may want to take advantage of our plan to facilitate an active 3-hour workshop - the best and most fun way to learn and become skillful with twig ID. The extra 90 minutes allows valuable additional time on the fast learning curve of the workshop environment with quick help on any puzzle from others in the room. It will give you time to practice and identify unknowns you brought or that we'll provide.

Also check out other Workshops in Middletown Springs.