Arm your class with magnifying glasses, notebooks, cameras and viewing jars, and head out and about to find out if your local trees are under attack.

Increased global travel and trade as well as climate change has brought some interesting and worrisome ‘wee beasties’ to the shores of the United Kingdom. Some of our best-loved trees are under threat but armed with our ‘Wanted: For crimes against trees’ resource sheets your class can help identify both the troublesome bugs and the trees in your area that are in the firing line.

This activity is a brilliant way to get children inspecting bugs and trees at close quarters and works just as well in your local park as it does in a wooded area. And the most exciting bit? If a problem is identified, the children get to notify the authorities and have the satisfaction of knowing that they are protecting our trees!