Welcome to the Nature at Chater Blogspot

 Hi All,

This is a new blog to share all the amazing nature you can find at Chater Infant School and in our local environment of West Watford.  We hope to share what is changing throughout the year to help you become more familiar with naming and recognising the plants and animals you can find living around you.  

Here is the first thing for you to be looking out for....

Catkins

This week Nursery children spotted catkins on the ground and hanging in the trees.  Here is a picture of them.

We noticed that the ones on the ground were a different colour to those on the trees.  Next time you are on the oval at school see if you can find some on the ground.  Can you find them hanging in the trees?  

Remember the rule, "No pick, No lick!"  

Here are some facts for you:

The tree or shrub you can see the catkins hanging in is called Hazel.  

Hazel is deciduous.  The word deciduous means to “fall off".  Every autumn the leaves will fall off the tree.  

The catkins are long, yellow clusters of male flowers.  They appear before the leaves grow, from the middle of February.  

The female flowers are very tiny and hard to spot but look like small red buds.  Can you see any if you look closely at the branches?

Later in the year the wind will help to pollenate the plant and the female flowers will develop into oval shaped fruits, called hazelnuts.  

Enjoy being a "Nature Hunter", search for catkins next time you are on the oval!