Speak for trees, like the Lorax! Pretend that you are the Lorax 

and share your ideas for keeping the forest healthy while using the trees for 

human needs, like paper products and furniture. 

The Once-ler discovered too late, I must say

That cutting down all of the Truffula Trees was a way

To damage the woods and the water and soil

and create a place where everything spoiled.

He ended up clogging the air with his smoke

And silencing Swomee-Swans, who couldn’t sing a note

Because no one can sing who has smog in their throat.

He glumped up the pond where the Humming Fish hummed

And could no longer hum with their gills all gummed.

So foresters know to sustain forest health, 

They must carefully tend to the whole forest wealth.

They have practices for how they can harvest the wood

and keep forests healthy for all of our good.

Think like the Lorax! Consider ways in which you can help your local park or forest. 

Create a piece of art, write a story or poem, or make a video to illustrate your 

action on behalf of the trees. 

When you complete your project, share it with your family 

and friends! Ask them if they have any other ideas to add.

Keep on thinking like the Lorax!

 DiscovertheForest.org/lorax

Speak for the Trees!

© 2012 Universal Studios. “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax” and Dr. Seuss Characters © and TM Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P.
Materials needed:

•	 Compass. 

•	 4–5 items for scavenger hunt.

(Before beginning this activity, see the note at the end of the activity.)

In this activity, you will complete a scavenger hunt by using a 

compass to locate hidden objects. Using a compass and map 

to navigate is called orienteering. Compasses are often easier to 

obtain than Global Positioning System (GPS) devices, and using 

a compass can be a fun way to learn about navigation. A compass 

also does not need a battery the way a GPS device does. This 

activity will provide you with a basic introduction on how to use 

a compass to navigate. 

Name some examples of when compasses are used. Then, review 

the parts of a compass. Every compass has four cardinal directions: North (N), South (S), East (E), and West (W). Some compasses 

also have the intermediate directions marked: Northeast (NE), 

Northwest (NW), Southeast (SE), and Southwest (SW). 

Use the compass image to review the parts :

A. Baseplate – The rectangular bottom.

B. Compass Housing – The raised, circular portion of the compass. The numbers on the compass housing represent the 360 

degrees of a circle.

C. Compass Needle – This is the needle that moves inside the 

compass. In most compasses, one half of the arrow is red and 

one half of the arrow is white. The red end of the compass 

needle always points to magnetic north. Magnetic north is 

where the North Pole is and is different than true, cardinal 

direction, north. 

D. Direction of Travel Arrow – This arrow is on the base and 

often says “Read Bearing Here.” This arrow points in the direction that you want to travel after orienting the compass. A good 

way for students to remember this arrow is that it should always 

be pointing in the same direction as their nose and toes. 

E. Orienting Arrow – This arrow is fixed to the bottom of the 

compass housing and does not move. It often is marked with 

stripes. This arrow is lined up with the compass needle after a 

travel direction (or compass bearing) has been set. 

After you are familiar with the parts of a compass, it is time to 

learn how to use a compass to find the four cardinal directions. 

Start by finding North. Turn the compass housing until the North 

(N) marking is lined up with the direction of travel arrow. Next, 

hold the compass flat in the palm of your hand and turn your 

whole body until the red end of the compass needle is inside of 

the orienting arrow. The compass is now oriented in the North 

direction. Practice walking a few steps in this direction while 

keeping the red compass needle in the orienting arrow. Practice 

finding and moving in the other cardinal directions until you are 

comfortable using a compass. 

Note that the following should be done before the activity begins!

Have your parents or friends create a mini 

scavenger hunt in the yard or a nearby park! 

The scavenger hunt should be set up before the compass activity 

begins. Each hidden item represents a checkpoint. Directions on 

how to navigate to the first checkpoint should be given at the 

beginning of the activity. Directions on how to navigate to the 

second item should be hidden with the first item. The second 

item has directions on how to navigate to the third item, and so 

on. If you are doing this with friends, you can take turns hiding 

and writing the clues 

For example: 

1. Starting at the door, walk approximately five steps straight out 

of the door. 

2. Stop and turn west. Continue west for approximately four steps. 

3. Stop and turn south. Walk south for another four steps. Find the 

small round rock.

4. Your first object is located under the rock.

 Activity courtesy of www.naturalinquirer.org

A

B

C

D

E

Where is it?

 DiscovertheForest.org/lorax

© 2012 Universal Studios. “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax” and Dr. Seuss Characters © and TM Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P.
Imagine a creature that never has been

What does it need? How does it fit in? Does it live in the water or soil or air? What will you call it and why should we care?

What is it’s name?

What does it look like? 

(You can draw a picture or use words to describe)

Where does it live?

What does it eat?

Where and how does it raise its young?

What else does it need to live and be happy?

What’s your favorite thing about your critter?

Create a Critter

Dr. Seuss was great at creating imaginary creatures, like the Swomee-Swan and the Brown Bar-ba-loot. 

Now it’s your turn to create a creature from your own imagination! 

 DiscovertheForest.org/lorax

© 2012 Universal Studios. “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax” and Dr. Seuss Characters © and TM Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P.
NOTE: This is a challenging activity for kids who really like to 

think and figure things out!

In this activity, you will learn to read a tree’s life history! The life 

history of a tree is contained in tree rings. If you were to cut a tree 

down, you would see a series of rings on the stump (figure 1).

Figure 1. Tree rings tell the tree’s life history.

Each year of its life, a tree creates a tree ring that has two parts: 

a light part and a dark part. The light part is called the early wood. 

Early wood is created during the spring and early summer when 

more water is usually available. The dark rings are called late 

wood. Late wood is created during the summer and sometimes 

early autumn. The late-wood rings are thinner and darker than 

early-wood rings because the tree does not grow as much during 

this time. One early-wood and one late-wood ring signify 1 year 

of growth for the tree.

Tree-ring width varies with growing conditions. The rings are 

wider, for example, if a lot of water, sun, and nutrients are 

available and they are thinner during times with less favorable 

conditions. Drought and diseases can stress the tree, resulting 

in less growth and thinner rings. Fire can leave a scar that will 

appear in the rings. 

If you want to see a small example of tree rings, have an adult 

cut a small branch off a tree. You may need to use a magnifying 

glass to see the rings. Do you think you will see many rings in the 

branch? Why?

Materials needed for this activity:

•	 A print out of the sample tree cores below.

•	 One 1-meter strip of adding machine tape, or a large sheet 

of white paper.

•	 Colored pencils and markers.

•	 Reference material such as almanacs or websites that provide the 

dates of social, cultural, environmental, and scientific events over 

the past 5 decades. These should be available at your local library.

•	 A notebook for recording results (optional).

Tree ring core samples showing the tree ring patterns of four trees 

are represented by the four striped strips below. These cores are 

taken from a tree using an instrument borer. An instrument borer 

is a hand drill that pulls out a thin cylinder of wood from the 

trunk of a tree (figure 2). The borer must go all the way to the 

center of the trunk to accurately read the tree ring. After the core 

sample is pulled, scientists seal the hole and the tree is protected 

from insects and disease. 

Using a copy of the four 

core samples below, you 

will construct the climate 

history of the trees. You 

will then record social, 

cultural, environmental, 

and scientific events that 

occurred during the lifetime of these four trees. 

The question you will 

answer in this activity is: 

How do tree rings help us 

understand the environment in which a tree lives?

Process:

1. Print the four striped tree core samples below.

2. Imagine that you have tree core samples from:

Sample 1: A living tree that was cored this year in Oakwood Forest.

Sample 2: A log found near the main trail in Oakwood Forest. 

The log was cored four years after it fell.

Sample 3: A tree that was cored one year before it was cut down 

in Oakwood Forest.

Sample 4: A barn beam from Oakwood Hollow Farm. The beam 

was cored in the current year.

3. Cut the tree core samples into four strips. 

4. The left side of each tree core sample represents the first year 

of growth of the tree. The right side represents the bark and just 

to its left, the year the tree core sample was pulled. The tree rings 

are represented by the rectangles making up each strip.

5. Each year of growth is represented by a larger light-colored 

“ring” and a smaller dark-colored “ring.” The larger light-colored 

ring represents fast spring growth and the smaller dark-colored 

ring represents slower summer growth. Beginning with Samples 

1 and 2, you will match the tree ring patterns and tape the two 

strips together. Continue this by adding Samples 3 and 4. Sample 

1 represents the youngest tree and Sample 4 represents the 

oldest tree that was sampled.

Figure 2. This scientist is holding a core 

sample from a tree. 

continued on next page 

Reading a tree’s life history

 DiscovertheForest.org/lorax

© 2012 Universal Studios. “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax” and Dr. Seuss Characters © and TM Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P.
Now, on the strips, 

6. Write the current year in space provided.

7. Counting backwards from the current year, identify the years 

each tree was cored. To keep track, you may write any year where 

you find room on the strip.

8. Identify the year Sample 4 tree began to grow and write it in 

the space provided.

9. Identify the year each sample was cored and write it in the 

space provided.

10. Complete the following chart:

Age of tree 

when cored

Year tree was 

cored

Year growth 

began

Sample 1 

(Example) 14 years 2012 1998

Sample 2

Sample 3

Sample 4

11. Look for patterns in the rings. Answer the following questions:

a. In what years was there low rainfall or other unfavorable 

growing conditions?

b. What two years were the most favorable for tree growth? 

What might have happened in those years to support tree 

growth?

c. What overall patterns do you notice in the year-to-year 

weather patterns?

continued on next page 

 DiscovertheForest.org/lorax

Reading a tree’s life history (continued)

Figure 3
 DiscovertheForest.org/lorax

Reading a tree’s life history (continued)

Now you will make a timeline to explore the environment during 

which the tree lived. Spread out the adding machine tape or piece 

of paper on a large, flat surface. Beginning at the left end of the 

tape or paper, record each year from the earliest year identified 

on the tree-ring samples through the current year. After the years 

are recorded, identify years that were good growing years for the 

trees in Oakwood Forest, then identify which were poor growing 

years. Think of other events that might have happened during this 

time period such as birthdays, Presidential elections, important 

scientific discoveries, environmental events, cultural or social 

events, and record-setting sports achievements. Fill them in on 

the timeline. Color the timeline and illustrate it with drawings, 

photographs, or newspaper stories. 

Now, think about this tree’s history and your 

own life history:

1. Which ring on which tree represents your birth year?

2. Which rings represent important events in your life? 

3. What kind of growing season existed those years in Oakwood?

4. What buildings in your area were built during the lifetime 

of these trees?

5. How do you think the environment changed during the 

trees’ lifetimes?

Scientists can do the same thing you just did with nearby trees of 

many ages, overlapping younger trees’ ring patterns with older trees’ 

ring patterns. In this way, scientists can discover the climate history 

of the past, perhaps hundreds or even thousands of years ago. 

Now answer the question posed at the beginning of this activity: 

How do tree rings help us to understand the environment in which 

a tree lives?

Activity courtesy of www.naturalinquirer.org.
Join the Lorax and plant a tree near your home or in your community! A healthy tree will be around for years, but it takes a little 

planning before you reach for the shovel.

SITE – choose a site that has good soil, water and light conditions 

and gives the tree plenty of room to grow. Beware of buried and 

overhead utility lines!

TREE SELECTION – select a tree species that will thrive in your 

chosen site and that meets your goals for planting a tree.

PLANTING and CARING – know how to properly plant and care 

for the tree in order to give it the greatest chance for surviving 

and thriving.

1. In selecting a SITE to plant a tree you want to make sure to 

look up, down, and all around! The main thing to notice in looking up is if there are any utility lines nearby, if so how far away? 

Are there buried utility lines? Contact your local power company 

if you are not sure. In looking down, think about a tree’s roots, 

which are a main part of its life support system, drawing up water 

and nutrients from the soil. Is there enough room for the roots to 

spread out? In looking all around, are there buildings, other trees 

or shrubs, sidewalks, curbs, streets nearby? How does the site fit 

into the larger environment? Is it a sunny or shady spot? 

Besides the physical location where the tree is to be planted, think 

about the SOIL that it is going into. Is it a sandy soil that water 

rapidly moves through, leaving your tree high and dry? Or is it a 

clay soil that may hold water for too long? Is the soil easy to dig 

into? You may want to consider having your soil tested by your 

local extension agent or at a local garden center. They could make 

recommendations if any soil improvements are needed. 

2. In SELECTING A TREE to match the site the most important 

thing to remember is that a tree grows! Try to envision what this 

tree will look like in 10 and 50 years. How tall will the tree get and 

how wide? 

In choosing a tree for your site, consider planting a tree species 

that is native to your area. Native species preserve our natural 

heritage, provide food and habitat for native wildlife, decrease the 

amount of water needed for landscape maintenance, and require 

very little long-term maintenance if they are properly planted and 

established.

3. Carefully TRANSPORTING your tree to the planting site will 

increase the chance for a successful planting. Gently wrap the 

leaves or needles to protect them from the sun and wind. Be sure 

to cushion the stem and branches, and tie the tree down securely. 

Avoid traveling at high speeds. Ideally the tree should be planted 

immediately, but if this is not possible keep the tree roots moist 

and STORE away from direct exposure to wind and sun, preferably 

in a shady spot outdoors.

4. PLANTING THE TREE, finally! In digging the hole remember 

that most of a tree’s roots grow horizontally, just below the soil 

surface and can spread out well beyond the branches, so the hole 

should be big enough to give the roots a chance to spread out. 

Make the hole wide, at least two to three times the width of the 

root ball especially if the soil is compacted and hard. The best way 

to make sure you plant the tree at the right depth is to identify 

the trunk flare where the roots spread out at the base of the tree. 

This point should be partially visible after planting. Make sure the 

tree is straight in the hole before filling in with soil.

How Deep Should You Plant?

For tree planting success, 

there are several things 

you should keep in mind...

2–5 times diameter 

of root ball

Sloping sides

Dug or rototilled area

Firm subsoil to prevent settling

continued on next page 

Plant a tree with the Lorax!

 DiscovertheForest.org/lorax

© 2012 Universal Studios. “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax” and Dr. Seuss Characters © and TM Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P.
For more information about selecting , planting, and caring for 

your tree, check out this website:

www.arborday.org

 DiscovertheForest.org/lorax

3x root ball diameter

Width of canopy

Asking the right questions and 

following these tips will greatly 

increase the chances that the 

tree you have chosen will last 

a long time!

Under NORMAL CONDITIONS, root growth 

is best encouraged by planting even with the 

surrounding terrain. 

When WET CONDITIONS or HEAVY SOIL are 

problems, raising about 1/3 of the root ball above 

ground will aid the spread of lateral roots.

In ARID CLIMATES, a basin can be used to collect 

precious water.

Plant a tree with the Lorax! (continued)
Have you ever heard the term, “ecosystem services?” Can you imagine what ecosystem services might be? Ecosystem services are 

services provided by healthy natural areas. Ecosystem services are valued by people, even if people do not always think about 

where these services come from. Examples include clean water, beautiful landscapes, healthy soil, places for wildlife to live, clean air, 

and places to do outdoor activities. Even pollination is an ecosystem service because pollination is important to food production. 

Ecosystem services are important because they provide goods and services that are vital to human health and quality of life. 

Ecosystem services are life-support systems for plants, animals, and humans worldwide. Some ecosystems services are called 

“public goods” because they should be available to everyone. An example of a public good is clean air. 

Here are Examples of Some Ecosystem Services

continued on next page 

Fig4: Some insects, birds, and bats are pollinators. Pollination is essential for 

many plants to reproduce and therefore helps to provide food for humans 

and other animals.

Fig5: Natural areas provide places for people to play and enjoy the outdoors.

Fig1: Decaying leaves on the ground provide 

a place to live for a variety of plants and animals.

Fig6: Bare rocks can provide ecosystem services 

too! Rocks provide a place for animals to sun 

themselves.

Fig2: Nature provides a wide range of beautiful 

scenes for people to enjoy.

Fig7: Leaves and other vegetation help provide 

clean air.

Fig3: Forests provide clean water.

Fig8: Wetlands provide a home for many plants 

and animals. They also filter pollutants.

Nature at your service!

 DiscovertheForest.org/lorax

© 2012 Universal Studios. “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax” and Dr. Seuss Characters © and TM Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P.
Scientists have studied ecosystem services for a long time. 

Identifying ecosystem services enables scientists to let people 

know that ecosystems are important to everyone. This identification also helps people to understand which natural resources 

need to be protected and why they need to be protected.

Now it is your turn to identify ecosystem services!

Materials needed: 

•	 Piece of paper or a notebook

•	 Pencil

•	 Camera (optional)

Observe the natural land and waters around you. This can be 

right outside your door, in your neighborhood, in a local park, or 

even while you ride the bus. Identify as many ecosystem services 

as possible. Be creative! What kind of benefits do you see around 

you? Be specific when you write about the ecosystem services 

that you have identified. You can even take photos and write captions, just like the photographs and captions above. 

After you have identified at least 7 ecosystem services, it is time 

to enjoy one of these services! For at least 5 minutes, find a safe 

place outside to observe nature. Be quiet and observe carefully. 

Listen for natural sounds and look at the trees, other plants, the 

animals, the waters, and even the sky. You can even spend time, 

for example, just watching ants as they go about their busy day. 

Do not speak during these 5 or more minutes. After you have 

been quiet and observant of nature for 5 minutes, identify what 

ecosystem service nature just provided for you. (HINT: you just 

might find that you want to do this longer than five minutes!)

Activity courtesy of www.naturalinquirer.org

 DiscovertheForest.org/lorax

Fig9: Nature provides a place for people to learn many new things.

Fig10: Forests provide many ecosystem services. They provide homes for 

plants and animals, store carbon which helps to slow climate change, provide 

clean air and water, provide food for people and other animals, protect the 

soil from eroding, and are places for people to enjoy the outdoors.

Fig11: Forests and waterways provide a place for fish, birds, and other animals 

to live.

Nature at your service! (continued)
Object of the game: 

Some kids (Friends of the Lorax) attempt to get seeds to the end of the obstacle course, where the Unless platform is located. Their 

object is to get as many seeds as possible to the Unless platform.

Other kids (the Once-lers) attempt to take the seeds and put them in the Thneed Factory instead. Once-lers who tag a Friend of the 

Lorax take possession of their seed. 

Other kids (Eco-Once-lers) will carry leaves, which identify them as sustainable foresters. Their job is to protect the Friends of the Lorax.

Directions:

1. Divide into 3 groups. If you are playing with 8 people, for instance

a. Once-lers should be 2 of the people

b. Friends of the Lorax should be 4 people

c. Two people should be Eco-Once-lers.

2. Designate boundaries of obstacle course

3. Friends of the Lorax have to run the obstacle course to get their seed from the beginning to the end of the course. They have to dodge the Once-lers along the way to get 

to the end. Once-lers must follow the course of the seed runners, dodging under the 

thneed, going around or over the gluppity glup overflow and passing by the seed 

bank. When a Once-ler tags a Friend of the Lorax, they take their seed and put it in the 

Thneed Factory. If Friends of the Lorax can’t get their seed to the Unless platform at 

the end, they can ditch it in the “seed bank” before they are tagged, or team with an 

Eco-Once-ler to gain immunity (safety) from the Once-lers. 

4. Friends of the Lorax can return to the beginning or to the seed bank as many times as 

they want in order to pick up another seed and try and get it to the Unless platform.

The game is over when all the seeds are used up. Whichever side has the most seeds 

(on the Unless platform, or controlled by the Once-lers in the Thneed Factory) wins.

Obstacles include:

•	 Boxes stacked up for the Thneed factory

•	 Thneeds: Yarn stretched between chairs 

or trees

•	 Tarp for the Gluppity-Glupp overflow

•	 Bins marked “seed bank”

Other elements in the course:

•	 Large leaf shapes cut out of paper 

or felt that are “safe places” along 

the course, or are carried by the 

Eco-Once-lers who provide safe 

passage for the seed runners.

•	 At the end of the obstacle course is the 

“Unless” platform. Successful Friends 

of the lorax leave their seeds here and 

return to the beginning for another seed.

Materials: 

•	 Seeds: Tennis balls, bean bags, or similar 

objects. (Have 2-4 seeds per child. 

The more seeds, the longer the game.)

•	 Yarn

•	 Tarp for the Gluppity-Glupp overflow 

(pond)

•	 Chairs, to string yarn between. Or, if you 

are playing outside, you can use natural 

objects (trees, for instance) to use for 

your thneeds.

•	 Boxes for the Thneed factory

•	 Large paper or felt leaf or real collected 

leaves for the Friends of the Lorax

•	 A plain piece of cardboard for the Unless 

platform.

continued on next page 

Friends of the Lorax Once-lers Eco-Once-lers

Lorax Obstacle Course

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© 2012 Universal Studios. “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax” and Dr. Seuss Characters © and TM Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P.
 DiscovertheForest.org/lorax

Seed Bank: A seed bank is where seeds are stored so that they 

are available should a particular species (like the Truffula Trees in 

the Lorax) become endangered or extinct. The seeds may be for 

food crops, potatoes, beans, squash, for example, or for trees. Seed 

banks are also a way to ensure biodiversity for future generations. 

To learn more about seed banks, go to the following websites:

http://www.nsl.fs.fed.us/index.html 

http://www.nps.gov/plants/sos/index.htm 

Biodiversity: In the Lorax, the only kind of tree in the forest was 

the Truffula Tree. In a real and healthy forest, there are all kinds 

of trees, shrubs, and plants on the ground, called “groundcover.” 

This is nature’s way of ensuring that if one species is killed by 

disease, there are other species that will be able to survive. It’s 

also nature’s way of providing for the many different animals, 

birds, and insects that live in a forest. All living things need the 

basics: food, water, cover and a place to raise their young, but 

different species have different habitat needs.

Thneed factory

Unless 

Platform

Gluppity-Glupp 

overflow

Seed

Bank

Possible Obstacle Course

Vocabulary:

Lorax Obstacle Course (continued)