My former students at Nathaniel Alexander Elementary may be surprised to learn that I am now a student, too. It's fun to go to school again because I always love to learn new things. I am taking three classes at the University of Michigan. My favorite class is called Woody Plants. We are learning all about trees and their habitats. Best of all, we go on long hikes into the woods and swamps to study the trees. Today I'll share with you what I've learned about a very special tree, the Paper Birch.
The Paper Birch is easy to identify because it has beautiful white bark, streaked with black marks. It grows everywhere in Michigan but in North Carolina you will find it only in the mountains in the western part of our state. Paper Birch trees like a cold habitat and the summers in Charlotte are just too hot.
Explorer Challenge: Why do you think Paper Birch can grow in the North Carolina mountains but not in Charlotte?
The Paper Birch is an important forest tree because it is one of the first trees to grow back after a forest fire. Its wood is hard and strong and is used to make furniture, cabinets, doors and floors.
Long ago, the Ojibwe Indians, who lived here in Michigan, had many uses for the tree. The logs were used to make poles for
teepees. The bark, which is waterproof, was used to cover the poles to make a dry shelter. The bark was also shaped into horns which were used to call moose, or made into rattles to be used in
ceremonies. The Ojibwe also boiled the bark to make medicines and red dye. But the most important use of the Paper Birch was to make canoes.
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| Birch bark canoe |
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The Ojibwe made beautiful canoes using only stone tools and trees from the forest. The bark from a large Paper Birch was removed in one big piece to make a skin for the canoe. The bark was stretched over a frame of cedar ribs and then the edges were sewn together and sealed with pitch (the sticky sap of a pine tree). It would take many weeks to build just one canoe but when it was finished it was strong, light and fast. A large birch bark canoe could carry ten people and up to four
tons of supplies. With all the lakes and rivers in Michigan, a canoe was the best way to travel.
The Paper Birch was the most important tree for the Ojibwe Indians. Each time they cut a birch tree, they would hold a special
ceremony to give thanks to the spirits of the forest. The Ojibwe Indians also told a story about the Paper Birch to their children. If you'd like to read the story, just click on the little canoe above.
