And when the leaves fall from the trees, they decompose and enrich the soil, as does the tree itself when it dies and rots, but not before still other creatures find food and shelter in the tree. Besides benefiting from trees in their natural settings, people use trees in many ways. Look around your house, or in your neighborhood stores, for examples of tree products. You can even make a game of guessing what objects in your house started out as part of a tree. You'll probably find many examples.
Some bark is used for floats and bulletin boards.
Come summer, you'll be glad for the shade that trees offer, too. You can record variations in bark patterns by making rubbings. Peel the paper-covering off the crayon and hold it horizontally. Smooth barks are easiest to rub, and steady one-directional strokes work best. If the paper keeps shifting, tie it to the tree.