Orchards of Minnetonka

 

Twenty Trees: A Self-Guided Tour Around the Grounds at Orchards of Minnetonka

In the fall of 2022, a group of 11 residents of Orchards of Minnetonka gathered for nine weekly sessions with COMPAS teaching artist Sarah Nassif to explore the trees growing on the grounds and learn how to recognize them.

Participants observed trees outdoors and samples indoors, activating their senses and looking for details that make each tree species unique. The group experimented with different drawing styles and looked at the work of other naturalist-artists. The illustrations and photos in this booklet were created by the class participants.

Recommended books and websites about trees:

WEBSITES

minnesotawildflowers.info (online field guide)

dnr.state.mn.us/trees

arb.umn.edu  (Minnesota Landscape Arboretum)

arboretumnaturenotes.wordpress.com

inaturalist.org 

friendsofthewildflowergarden.org

wikipedia.org/wiki/Conifer

wikipedia.org/wiki/Broad-leaved_tree

BOOKS

Trees and Shrubs of Minnesota (2008, Welby R. Smith)

Trees of Minnesota Field Guide (2020, Stan Tekiela)

Plants Have So Much to Give Us, All We Have to Do Is Ask: Anishinaabe Botanical Teachings (2015, Mary Siisip Geniusz)

The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate Discoveries from A Secret World (2015, Peter Wohlleben)

Mni Sota Makoce (2012, Gwen Westerman & Bruce White)