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Category: Fun Stuff
Arbor Ranger Learning is fun about trees
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2016 IUFC Arbor Day Poster Contest State Winners
- 1st Place: Victoria Grant, and her Art Teacher, Katy Lewis, of Western Intermediate School, Russiaville, IN
- 2nd Place: Marissa Giles, and her Teacher, Lisa Schlegel, of Childs Elementary, Bloomington, IN
- 3rd Place: Karlee Reedy, and her Teacher, Melissa Newman, of Meadows Elementary, Terre Haute, IN
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ABCmouse.com – “The Four Seasons”
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Lyrics:
We sing of the four seasons:
chilly winter, ice and snow,
lovely springtime blossoms,
the summer sun’s warm glow.
When leaves are turning color,
we know that it is fall.
We sing of the four seasons
and look forward to them all.Winter is the coldest season.
Feel the north wind blow.
You wear your mittens, hat, and boots
when playing in the snow.
But there are many places
where winter’s not so cold,
like Phoenix, Arizona
and Florida, I’m told.After winter comes the spring,
and sunshine warms the air.
The buds on trees and flowers bloom
with color everywhere!
In spring, rain showers wet the earth
and melt the ice and snow.
Leaves and grass turn green again
and things begin to grow.We sing of the four seasons:
chilly winter, ice and snow,
lovely springtime blossoms,
the summer sun’s warm glow.
When leaves are turning color,
we know that it is fall.
We sing of the four seasons
and look forward to them all.Then comes summer, sunny summer.
Outside you will play—
sandy beaches, parks, and pools
to go to every day!
You can make a lemonade stand—
a quarter for a cup.
The summer sun is oh-so-hot,
and thirsty friends will drink it up.When the summer season’s over,
then fall puts on a show.
The trees turn yellow, red, and brown,
and gusty winds will blow.
The autumn leaves go swirling
as they drop without a sound,
and soon a leafy blanket
is covering the ground.At the very end of fall,
winter starts, and then
spring and summer come and go.
The cycle starts again!We sing of the four seasons:
chilly winter, ice and snow,
lovely springtime blossoms,
the summer sun’s warm glow.
When leaves are turning color,
we know that it is fall.
We sing of the four seasons
and look forward to them all.© Age of Learning, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Rachel Rambach – “The Leaves on the Trees”
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Lyrics:
The leaves on the trees,
They sway in the breeze,
They sway all around, all around.
Slowly first, then faster
Until all the leaves fall down.(Repeat, gradually getting faster each time)
For more about this song and Rachel, click this link: Listen & Learn Music by Rachel Rambach
© 2010, Rachel Rambach.
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Sid the Science Kid – “Beautiful Trees Song”
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Pine trees in the forests
Palm trees by the sea
Oaks and Maples
Help you and me
With air to breathe
And food to eat
Shady shade
To beat the heatBeautiful trees
You know we love them
Beautiful trees
We need more of them
They take in carbon dioxide
Through their leaves
And put out oxygen
For everyone to breathe
Trees, beautiful treesElms and Magnolias
In the towns and cities
Cacti in the desert
Are sure enough pretty
So let’s salute ‘em
And let’s applaud them
And plant more of them
And be glad we’ve got ‘emBeautiful trees
You know we love them
Beautiful trees
We need more of them
They take in carbon dioxide
Through their leaves
And put out oxygen
For everyone to breathe
Trees, beautiful trees
Trees, beautiful treesThis song is from the episode: “Sid’s Backyard Campout” is in association with National Wildlife Federation’s Great American Backyard Campout.
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Buffalo and Brandy – “The Green Grass Grows All Around”
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Lyrics:
There was a tree
All in the woods
The prettiest tree
That you ever did see
Oh, the tree in a hole
And the hole in the ground
And the green grass grows all around, all around
The green grass grows all around.And on that tree
There was a limb
The prettiest limb
That you ever did see
Oh, the limb on the tree
And the tree in a hole
And the hole in the ground
And the green grass grows all around, all around
The green grass grows all around.And on that limb
There was a branch
The prettiest branch
That you ever did see
Oh, the branch on the limb,
And the limb on the tree,
And the tree in a hole,
And the hole in the ground,
And the green grass grows all around, all around
The green grass grows all around.And on that branch
There was a nest
The prettiest nest
That you ever did see
Oh, the nest on the branch,
And the branch on the limb,
And the limb on the tree,
And the tree in a hole,
And the hole in the ground,
And the green grass grows all around, all around
The green grass grows all around.And in that nest
There was an egg
The prettiest egg
That you ever did see
Oh, the egg in the nest.
And the nest on the branch,
And the branch on the limb,
And the limb on the tree,
And the tree in a hole,
And the hole in the ground,
And the green grass grows all around, all around
The green grass grows all around.And in that egg
There was a bird
The prettiest bird
That you ever did see
Oh, the bird in the egg,
And the egg in the nest,
And the nest on the branch,
And the branch on the limb,
And the limb on the tree,
And the tree in a hole,
And the hole in the ground,
And the green grass grows all around, all around
The green grass grows all around.And on that bird
There was a wing
The prettiest wing
That you ever did see
Oh, the wing on the bird,
And the bird in the egg,
And the egg in the nest,
And the nest on the branch,
And the branch on the limb,
And the limb on the tree,
And the tree in a hole,
And the hole in the ground,
And the green grass grows all around, all around
The green grass grows all around.And on that wing
There was a feather
The prettiest feather
That you ever did see
Oh, the feather on the wing,
And the wing on the bird,
And the bird in the egg,
And the egg in the nest,
And the nest on the branch,
And the branch on the limb,
And the limb on the tree,
And the tree in a hole,
And the hole in the ground
And the green grass grows all around, all around
The green grass grows all around.And on that feather
There was a bug
The prettiest bug
That you ever did see
On, the bug on the feather
And the feather on the wing,
And the wing on the bird,
And the bird in the egg,
And the egg in the nest,
And the nest on the branch,
And the branch on the limb,
And the limb on the tree,
And the tree in a hole,
And the hole in the ground,
And the green grass grows all around, all around
The green grass grows all around.And on that bug
There was a germ
The prettiest germ
That you ever did see
Oh, the germ on the bug
And the bug on the feather,
And the feather on the wing,
And the wing on the bird,
And the bird in the egg,
And the egg in the nest,
And the nest on the branch,
And the branch on the limb,
And the limb on the tree,
And the tree in a hole,
And the hole in the ground,
And the green grass grows all around, all around
The green grass grows all around.And the green grass grows all around, all around
The green grass grows all around.[Standard YouTube License]
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Arbor Rangers™ Theme Song
Introduction
The Arbor Rangers™ is an educational outreach program created by Certified Arborist and Senior Art Director Jeff Harris that is primarily focused on fifth-graders, but can benefit most elementary school-age children and their grown-ups. The Arbor Rangers™ is presented as an entertaining adventure series to help kids learn basic knowledge in fun ways about trees in our urban environment and how to become good tree stewards.
The Power of Music in Learning
Jeff has always recognized the importance of music in education from growing up in the early 1970s through the 1980s, watching kids’ shows on PBS, like Sesame Street, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, The Electric Company, and Zoom, to name just a few. Weekdays after school and Saturday morning cartoons were filled with entertaining shows like Jonny Quest, The Super Friends, Scooby-Doo, Bugs Bunny, The Flintstones, and Schoolhouse Rock! What better way to help teach children about trees and their importance than through animation and music?
A Theme Song is Born
To accomplish this dream of making animations with music, the development of a theme song for the then-unnamed series was sparked back in April 2009. According to Jeff, “I just started humming some notes that were swirling around in my head out loud,” explaining how The Arbor Rangers™ theme song originated. “I knew I wanted something ‘catchy’ and fun that kids could be excited about and bob their heads to! I was imagining my childhood and the shows that my children were watching. I drew inspiration from newer cartoon shows from the 1990s. Eventually, through my humming and whistling, I started to formulate a melody I liked. I then was afraid I’d forget it, and so I purchased an MP3 digital recorder and began recording myself when the melody would return to my head, and I tried to hum or whistle the tune out loud again. Putting together some basic lyrics as I imagined a title sequence for a show helped me remember the tune easier. One thing was for sure: from that tune, I unmistakably found the name of my new series, The Arbor Rangers!™ It took a few tries and several rewrites to nail down the lyrics to where I like how they flowed, and finally, I had my theme song! Unfortunately, I am no musician. Writing sheet music for the song so that other musicians could play it was out of my area of expertise. I decided that my limited “hunt-n-peck” self-taught method of learning to play songs on my inexpensive piano keyboard would have to do. It didn’t take too long for me to learn to play the basic melody of my theme song, and after a bit of practice, I also managed to add a simple beat track and then recorded my performance.”
Delays and Setbacks
This endeavor has been one of passion for learning and teaching, but all of it is a self-funded outreach project. Inevitably, since those early days of development, progress in production has been slowed or indefinitely postponed due to other obligations or engagements in volunteer activities for non-profit organizations. In the meantime, Jeff has made efforts to define and refine the core Arbor Rangers™ team characters and is back to illustrating new elements for producing animations and publications (e.g., comic books). He still wants to produce a professionally arranged and recorded Official Theme track.
Arbor Rangers™ Theme Song (Lyrics & Basic Keys)
[Intro] (Brief drummer intro)
[Verse]
Ar-bor Ran-gers!
E E G E
Bet-ter call on the dou-ble!
B B B B B A B
Ar-bor Ran-gers!
E E G E
When your trees are in trou-ble!
B B C C C B C
Ar-bor Ran-gers!
E E G E
E-ver rea-dy; re-source-ful!
B B B B B A B[Chorus]
For-e-sters of ur-ban na-ture,
C C B C D C B A
When threats put our trees in dan-ger,
C C B C D C B A
You can count on Ar-bor Ran-gers! Yah!
C C B C D C B A B
[Instrumental Break] (Energetic guitar solo with percussion)
B C C C A G F# G A B B B G F# E
B C C C A G F# G A B
B B B C C C C C D C B A B B B C D E
G G G G G A G F# G A G F# G B
(Repeat Main Verse and Chorus, skip Break, then Final Verse)
[Final Verse]
Ar-bor Ran-gers!
E E G E
[Outro]
Here is a sample of the basic Arbor Rangers Theme Song tune composed by Jeff Harris. Use the Up/Down Arrow keys on your computer keyboard to increase or decrease volume while playing the tune.
THEME SONG DEVELOPMENT
The decision on how to move forward in producing the theme music will ultimately define the spirit of the Arbor Rangers™ team and the adventures they will embark upon.
We are considering two, maybe three, possibilities:
- Conduct a contest (statewide, national, or even international) among grade school bands and choirs* to submit their performance of the theme song for a chance to have it used in future Arbor Rangers™ animated productions and live shows, be named in the credits, and receive a one-time cash prize; or Select and work in collaboration with a willing local school band and choir group in preparing instrumentals for the finished score, with acknowledgments in future productions that feature these works and a one-time cash donation to their music department/school.
- Put out an ad in various music vines to offer a chance for new or established bands looking for exposure of their talents to put together a finished song track using the established Arbor Ranger™ theme song melody and lyrics, which includes their name featured in the credits to future productions utilizing their work, and also a one-time cash bonus.
- Hire a music producer from a platform like Fiverr.
*The best renditions may be featured in a future Arbor Rangers™ music CD, with the top winning submission used as the official adaptation, which would be featured on the Arbor Rangers™ website and in future productions!
Check back in this MUSIC section for more songs about nature and trees, which are being written for future Arbor Rangers™ live and animated productions.
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ANNOUNCEMENT: 2019 Arbor Day Poster Contest Suspended Indefinitely
Is Your Community Planning Ahead for Arbor Day 2019?
Arbor Day is celebrated on the last Friday in the month of April in IndianaANNOUNCEMENT: 2019 Arbor Day Poster Contest Suspended Indefinitely
Sadly, it has come to our attention that Indiana’s DNR Community & Urban Forestry division will not be able to run the Arbor Day poster contest this year. Unfortunately, this news came too late for Arbor Rangers to pull together a plan and bolster enough resources and volunteers to be able to run the contest ourselves. We are looking into possibly organizing and managing the contest for 2020. We are sorry for any teachers, students, and their parents who looked forward to the regular contest this year and are disappointed by the cancellation. We strongly encourage you to still participate in an Arbor Day celebration in some way, like planting a tree, creating a poem, and volunteering in a related local event. Have a Happy Arbor Day!
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2018 Arbor Day Poster Contest Theme:
“Trees Are Terrific in Every Shape and Size!“
Downloads:
- Indiana Arbor Day Poster Contest Checklist & Registration Form
- Indiana Arbor Day Poster Contest Lesson Plans
- Drawing Basic Trees A simple guide on drawing basic trees to help those who need it to build confidence and participate in the contest. We believe in you! You can do this!
Resource links
- Native Trees of Indiana: Sandy loves trees and she’s made a list of the diverse native tree species in Indiana with fun facts, such as type, mature height, fall color, etc., plus additional resource links including our USDA Plant Hardiness Zones Maps for Indiana and counties.
- Indiana Arbor Day: Resource page provided by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) which includes video instructions on planting trees, an Arbor Day Teacher’s Guide and more!
- Project Learning Tree: This site offers lesson plans and activities for all ages that can be easily incorporated into existing curriculum or used in informal settings. Checkout the STEM: Tree Life Cycle activity.
- Teachers’ Guide to Arbor Month: include activities on trees and the natural world for Grades K-8.
- How to Plant a Tree links of educational videos and publications by Lindsey Purcell (Urban Forest Specialist at Purdue Extension) and also see How To Properly Plant A Tree video by Keep Indianapolis Beautiful.
- The Morton Arboretum: Resources for Educators including Arbor Day in the Classroom and Vanishing Acts Teacher’s Guide. Also check out Urban Forestry Laboratory Exercises, a publication developed by the Morton Arboretum in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service North Central Forest Experiment Station and the Natural Resources Conservation Education Program.
- I-Tree Lessons: Use the tools urban foresters are using around the world to calculate the benefits of community trees with developed lesson plans that are standards based.
- The American Public Gardens Association: Be a Plant Hero! Detect and combat bugs and diseases that harm plants and ecosystem health. Lots of puzzles, games and comics!
- Urban Tree Care: From The Education Store of Purdue Extension you can download many fact sheets with helpful advice concerning challenges in caring for and maintaining trees in our urban environment. (Related link: Pest Management – Flower, Tree, Ornamental Pests)
- Hardwood Lumber & Veneer Series: Also from The Education Store of Purdue Extension you can download free fact sheets containing details of several important tree species used for wood products, including color & texture characteristics, commercial use, grading and value.
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations: Building greener cities: nine benefits of urban trees.
Be sure to check out the other helpful links found on our Teacher and Parent Resources page!
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2018 Indiana Arbor Day Poster Contest State Winners
- 1st Place: Maks Cucuz Grimmer Middle School Schererville, IN Teacher: Kristin Duncan
- 2nd Place: Lauren Summerville Hebron Elementary School Valparaiso, IN Teacher: Alyssa Hildebrandt
- 3rd Place: Alivia Bushman Central Elementary School Lawrenceburg, IN Teacher: Miss Erin Soller
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2017 Indiana Arbor Day Poster Contest State Winners
- 1st Place: Ana Arreola, and her Teacher, Mallory Paswater, of South Decatur Elementary, Greensburg, IN
- 2nd Place: Travis Glossenger, and his Teacher, Tracy Hand, of Chrichfield Elementary, La Porte, IN
- 3rd Place: Olivia Link, and her Teacher, Kullen Day, of Eastern Pulaski Elementary, Winamac, IN