6º Escuelas Bosque 21-22

Monday 10th January 2022
SCIENCE

We are starting this new year doing something we planned for former 6th Grade students two years ago. It couldn't be done because of the pandemic.

Also, as we all remember, Filomena caused great damage to the trees in Madrid in days like these last year.

For those reasons we think it is an excellent way to begin a new year by planting new trees in our playground.

We are planting encinas (holm oak tree). My former 5th grade students had planted some acorns in pots in February 2019, with the intention of planting the shoots before leaving school in June 2020.

Planting a tree is not an easy thing t. We are lucky to have Angel to guide and supervise us.

Holm oak tree is a very popular tree in Spain. R. Moro in his excellent "Guía de los árboles de España" (1995) proposed the holm oak as the national tree of Spain , in the way that the maple is to Canada . He gives a number of reasons:

1. Spain has exceptional examples of 700 years or more, growing to gigantic sizes well above average.

2. Because the encina is found in almost every province, and covers 25% of the forested surface area of Spain .

3. Because it is an excellent producer of wood for charcoal and for parquet. It also bears immense quantities of acorns to feed our flocks and herds of livestock in the autumn, which most years are dry.

4. Because it is the fundamental element of the dehesa , the rational form of agriculture of Dry Spain, making use of its fruit and its foliage and branches, and also helping to improve the poor soils which are enriched through the dead leaves and detritus of the tree.

5. Because the encina provides an excellent environ for small and big game.

6. Because it survives forest fires well, and easily sprout from stumps.

7. Because the encina adapts to most soils.

8. Because the tree prefers a dry clime, which is the norm in Spain .

Here you can learn more about this tree.

Videos in English: