Tree ID Booklet - Beech

[Jenny]

Trying to see if I can upload the first 2 pages of my winter tree id booklet for critique and correction...seems to have worked. Bottom image is first page. Is it big enough to read or can it be enlarged?

Jenny

[edfrank]

Jenny,

The images of your pages came through fine.  How much of your book have you completed?

Ed

[Jenny]

Ed,

I've done 25 species, but they all have not been edited yet like this Beech excerpt. I'm trying to stuff a lot of info in 2 pages. Not sure if it always works. But it's a start.

Jenny

[Steve Galehouse]

Jenny-

You might want to insert "may" in the "dead leaves cling" line in the Quick I.D. section, as it is mentioned as such on the second page. Perhaps also mention the nuts are edible---otherwise it looks very nice.

Steve

[edfrank]

Jenny,

The Quick ID notes look good.  You could mention the spiney shells on the nuts and the fact the nuts are edible.  Empty shells can be found around the trees in the winter.  When doing the quick ID notes, I would recommend including just those specific charactersitics that make the species distinctive from other similar species.  Too many books keep every description structured the same way in the same order.  You can't tell what features make them distinctive and what ones are mundane and non-diagnostic.  Ask yourself what single feature makes this species distinctive from all thesimilar species - that should be the first tip in your Qucik ID.  For beech - the smooth bark pretty much nails it.  How many species are you going to inclde in your completed book?  Do you know which ones yet?  Are you including both exotics and natives found in the NYC Parks?

Ed

[Jenny]

Thanks for the feedback Ed and Steve. This really helps. You've looked at a lot of these kinds of id books before, so it's good to know what you think works and what doesn't. I'm especially looking to appeal to the beginner.  Pix were hard to take, but I guess I'm bound to get better.

Jenny

[edfrank]

Jenny,

I think this is an excellent start for your booklet.  It is bound to be a hit with the beginner of the other treepages are as good as these ones.  Beginners like photos.

[Steve Galehouse]

Jenny-

You might also want to include some interesting trivia regarding a tree, in this case "beech" and "buch"(book) come from the same Germanic root-word, and relate to the thin bark being inscribed with writing.

Steve

[James Parton]

Jenny,

Very nice work!

James







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[Beth]

Jenny,
That looks great!  I am working on a book to ID trees in Washington County, Illinois and I also thought of two pages per tree.  I also have all of my photos on one page and then the notes on the second page.  At the bottom of that second page is a note on the one or two things that make this tree the tree it is. An example is "This tree has mustard-yellow buds."  (Bitternut Hickory Carya cordiformis )
Beth