Sarah Grindler - Forest Magic: A Guidebook for Little Woodland Explorers

Copyright 2021, Sarah Grindler All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission from the publisher, or, in the case of photocopying or other reprographic copying, permission from Access Copyright, Yonge Street, Suite 1900, Toronto, Ontario M5E 1E5. Nimbus Publishing Limited 3660 Strawberry Hill Street, Halifax, NS, B3K 5A9 (902) 455-4286 nimbus.ca Printed and bound in Canada NB1520 Cover design: Heather Bryan Interior design: Jenn Embree Editor: Penelope Jackson Editor for the press: Emily MacKinnon Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication Title: Forest magic : a guidebook for little woodland explorers / words & art by Sarah Grindler. Names: Grindler, Sarah, author, illustrator. Description: Series statement: Little explorers series Identifiers: Canadiana (print) 20200386395 | Canadiana (ebook) 20200386409 ISBN 9781771089265 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781771085854 (EPUB) Subjects: LCSH: Forest ecologyJuvenile literature. | LCSH: Forests and forestryJuvenile literature.

Classification: LCC QH541.5.F6 G75 2021 | DDC j577.3dc23 Nimbus Publishing acknowledges the financial support for its publishing activities from the Government of Canada, the Canada Council for the Arts, and from the Province of Nova Scotia. We are pleased to work in partnership with the Province of Nova Scotia to develop and promote our creative industries for the benefit of all Nova Scotians.

To my beautiful son, Jackson, and in memory of Judy Burchthank you for all your forest wisdom. What do you notice when you are walking in the forest? Different types of trees? Lichens or mushrooms? Wildflowers? How about the sound of a chattering squirrel or the sweet smell of tree sap? Theres so much to see, hear, touch, and smell! Lets investigate the magic of a forest. Have you ever heard of a nurse log? A nurse log is a fallen tree that gives life to the forest. fir maple cedar oak A healthy forest is home to a lot of different types of trees that can support each other and share nutrients through their root systems. fir maple cedar oak A healthy forest is home to a lot of different types of trees that can support each other and share nutrients through their root systems.

You can get to know them by their leaves.

Here are some maple tree seeds (called keys), and this is a maple tree sapling. After many years, this tiny sapling will grow tall and strong. maple keys maple sapling Saplings are baby trees. They need sunlight and plenty of moisture in order to grow into beautiful, majestic giants. If you planted a sapling today, would it grow faster than you? Trees also create homes for so many plants and animals.

Here is a little home in a tree trunk. Can you guess which of these birds lives inside it? (Hint: it sleeps during the day and is awake at night.) raven pileated woodpecker

Canada jay Coopers hawk barred owl Hoot, hoot! Its an owl! What other creatures can you think of that make their homes in the forest? There are some hiding in these pages. Can you find them? There are creatures with no legs, two legs, four legs, six legs, eight legs, and even ones with almost one hundred legs that live in the forest! white-tailed deer snail Swainsons thrush rough-skinned newt grey comma butterfly cross orbweaver (European garden spider) millipede golden buprestid beetle (golden jewel beetle) Some are slimy, some are furry, some have very long tongues, and some glow like little lights. Some sing beautiful songs and others buzz quietly. banana slug skunk Columbia spotted frog Each creature has a part to play in keeping the balance of life in the forests ecosystem. firefly white-tailed deer beaver squirrel Forests are also home to fungi, lichen, moss, wildflowers, and many species of plants.

The fungus on the right is called a turkey-tail mushroom. You can often find it growing on the trunk of a tree or on the side of a nurse log. Why do you think it is called a turkey tail? American bushtit (and nest)