Procedure Find a rotting tree in a wooded area. Put on the plastic gloves. Use the trowel to move and uncover materials on the tree. Use the tweezers to collect items you want to inspect further and put these in the jar. Look for signs of rotting wood.
Rotten wood looks like a brown dust.
Use the magnifying lens to look for fungi and insects. Examine the rotting wood to see if ferns or moss are growing on it. Explanation Dead trees are recycled, or used again in a different form, by nature. Wormlike beatle larvae eat through some of the bark. Insects and bacteria change the wood into a soft, moist substance that provides a good growing place for moss, ferns, and fungi.