Mission: The Curse of the Hidden Trees

An ancient forest spirit has cast a curse on the forest. To break it, you must find three special types of trees and solve their puzzles. Only by identifying all the trees and collecting the right clues will you find the key to the forest treasure and escape!

📝Bonus Mission: Mark the tree species you come across along the way!

In many parks and forests stands a tall, elegant tree that people often overlook. Its crown is light and airy, so the sunlight can slip through its branches and dance on the ground. The leaves are narrow and long, shaped a bit like tiny spears, with a fresh, bright green color in spring and a darker green in summer. In autumn, they quietly fall, forming a soft, rustling carpet beneath your feet.

The bark of this tree is smooth and gray when it is young, but as it grows older, it becomes rough and cracked, like wrinkled skin. If you look closely, you might see small, dark seeds hanging in clusters, shaped like little wings that spin as they fall to the ground. The wood of this tree is strong but not too heavy, so people use it for furniture, tools, and even sports equipment.

This tree likes rich soil and often grows near rivers and in open forests. If you see a tall tree with spear-shaped leaves, winged seeds, and a light, open crown that lets the sun through, you might have found it. Can you guess which tree it is?

In many parks and forests grows a powerful tree that seems to guard the land. Its trunk is straight and tall, covered with rough, gray bark that feels hard under your fingers. The branches spread wide like strong arms, forming a high, rounded crown that casts cool shade on hot summer days. Its leaves are simple and shaped a bit like long ovals with pointed tips and smooth edges. In spring, it produces hanging catkins that sway in the wind like little green tassels. Later, tiny winged seeds appear, spinning to the ground like miniature helicopters when they fall. This tree is famous for its tough, heavy wood, which people use to build strong furniture and even ships and barrels. Many animals find shelter in its branches, and birds like to nest high in its crown. If you see a tall, sturdy tree with gray, ridged bark, simple oval leaves, and spinning seeds that twirl to the ground, you might just have discovered it. Can you guess which tree it is?

I grow in lands both cool and bright,
My leaves are shaped like stars in light.
With five sharp points on every hand,
I wave green flags across the land.

In autumn’s chill I blaze the sky,
With glowing red and gold up high.
Beneath my branches, wide and round,
Kids crunch my leaves upon the ground.

My bark is smooth when I am young,
Then turns to gray with ridges long.
My wood builds desks and sturdy chairs,
And floors in homes and schoolroom stairs.

From frozen trunks in early spring,
A clear, sweet liquid starts to sing.
Boiled down with care and patient heat,
It turns to syrup, rich and sweet.

My seeds wear wings and twirl away,
Like tiny copters at their play.
You see me lining streets and parks,
A flaming torch when autumn sparks.

What tree am I, with candy sap,
With spinning seeds in nature’s lap,
With fiery leaves that glow and shine?
Can you guess this name of mine?

📝Deciduous or coniferous tree? Match the tree species to the correct category.