Take 2 minutes to observe the forest around you and immerse your senses in nature along the trail. During these two minutes, think of or write down the following items:
- 4 Things You Can See
- 3 Things You Can Hear
- 2 Things You Can Touch
- 1 Things You Can Smell
Here is one of the most common forest items that are seen and found along the trails here at the Anniston Museum of Natural History!
Pinecones
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- The pine cones seen on the tree and along the floor of the trail belong to various species including the Loblolly Pine and the Longleaf Pine trees!
- Fun Facts:
- The cones of longleaf pine are the largest of the southern pine and range in size from 5 to 12 inches in length.
- Pine cones are either male or female.
- Pine cones can open and close their scales to protect from the weather and harsh conditions.
What Does Native Mean?
- A plant is native if it has occurred naturally for thousands of years in a region, ecosystem, or habitat without human introduction.
Longleaf pine forests once covered 90 million acres spanning from present day Virginia, down to Florida, and stretching into Texas. After decades of fire suppression and intense logging, only about 6% of the highly fragmented forest remains.
The importance of the Longleaf pine trees cannot be understated. Longleaf pine forests are home to hundreds of unique plant and animal species. Approximately 900 plant species are only found in longleaf pine forest ecosystems, and there are over 20 other threatened or endangered species, including the gopher tortoise.
Conservation and protection of native species are therefore crucial for maintaining the health and stability of ecosystems, which in turn provides numerous benefits to humans, including clean air and water, stable food supplies, and aesthetic enjoyment of natural areas.
National Forest Foundation. “Restoring Longleaf Pine Forests and Keystone Species Habitat.” https://www.nationalforests.org/blog/restoring-longleaf-pine-forests-and-keystone-species-habitat.
University of Florida Extension. “Longleaf Pines.” https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/trees-and-shrubs/trees/longleaf-pine/.
“This Look & Learn content is part of a 2025 Girl Scout Gold Award project by Sarah Sloughfy.”