TREES IN ALL SEASONS
A four-season online video course designed by Adam Haritan to help you successfully identify 100 trees.
BECOME A SKILLED
IDENTIFIER OF TREES
When we learn the names of trees, we open a door to a world of wonder. Basswoods and birches shed their anonymity. Walnuts and willows become familiar companions. With each new tree we learn, our connection to nature deepens.
TREES IN ALL SEASONS can help you master this most essential skill. Whether you are interested in identifying trees in the forest or your front yard, this comprehensive online course covers the most important lessons to get you started.
LET'S GET STARTED
If you routinely find yourself staring at an unfamiliar tree with an inquiring mind, TREES IN ALL SEASONS will help you answer that all-too-common question: "What is it?"
With guided lessons through high-quality videos, TREES IN ALL SEASONS teaches you how to identify trees in every season — spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Hi, I'm Adam
I am the founder of Learn Your Land — an online educational resource that helps you connect to nature one species at a time.
Over the years, I’ve observed an interesting phenomenon: many people want to know the names of trees but never discipline themselves to learn this information. We assume that we can learn trees through osmosis: spend enough time in the woods and we’ll eventually be able to identify trees.
But there’s a better way to do it.
Learn trees in a disciplined manner. Spend quality time with trees. Visit the same tree every season and observe its changes.
I designed TREES IN ALL SEASONS to help you achieve these goals. By enrolling in this course and studying its content, you will embark on a disciplined path whose results are profound and immeasurable. Such results include deep nature connection through the awareness, identification, and appreciation of trees.
COURSE INFORMATION
Here's what's included with TREES IN ALL SEASONS.
- Exclusive in-depth videos. The course includes over 75 exclusive and never-before-seen videos that are only available to students. These videos are organized into 11 modules that lay the groundwork for successful tree identification.
- Work at your own pace. Complete the course at a speed that is most convenient to you. You can put the course on hold if necessary and return to it at any time.
- Unlimited access. Once you enroll, the course and all materials are immediately available to you.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
Ecology
Trees do not exist in isolation. Instead, they form intimate relationships with fungi, herbaceous plants, lichens, and animals. Understanding these relationships is fundamental to your understanding of trees. In the ecology lessons within the course, you will learn how trees interact with other organisms in their ecosystems.
Physiology
What processes take place within trees? How essential are these processes to life on earth? TREES IN ALL SEASONS introduces you to the seasonal activities that take place within the cells of trees — from photosynthesis, to autumn leaf senescence, to winter dormancy, and eventually to bud break.
Anatomy
Several unique structures serve important roles in maintaining the health and physical integrity of trees. Such diagnostic structures include bark, twigs, buds, leaves, flowers, fruits, and cones. The anatomy lessons within the course introduce you to essential structures that will greatly improve your ability to identify trees.
Taxonomy
Taxonomy, or the science of naming and classifying organisms, helps us understand how different organisms are related to one another. Taxonomy also helps us communicate more effectively. TREES IN ALL SEASONS introduces you to basic taxonomic concepts that make the process of learning scientific names easy and fun.
Natural History
From hardship to triumph, a tree's life holds stories as captivating as any story in human history. In addition to covering the physical properties of trees, TREES IN ALL SEASONS weaves narratives that explore distributions, life histories, and changes that trees experience over time.
Identification
TREES IN ALL SEASONS devotes 5 entire modules to tree identification. Every video lesson within each module guides you through all the seasons while highlighting essential features. When necessary, closely related trees are presented side-by-side so that you can learn their similarities and differences.
LASTING RESULTS
Here’s what you will be able to do after completing the course:
- Identify with confidence over 100 trees that grow in eastern North America.
- Determine the differences between closely related species using a variety of observational clues.
- Use dichotomous keys to identify trees.
- Read landscapes more effectively.
- Move through wild areas more intentionally.
- Improve other aspects of nature literacy, including bird watching, botanizing, foraging, and hunting.
- Strengthen the essential connection between you and your land.
WHO IS THIS COURSE FOR?
Hikers, foragers, landowners, hunters, birders, and nature lovers.
This course is designed specifically for students at the beginner skill level in eastern North America. More specifically, this course features trees that grow in the temperate zones east of the Rocky Mountains. Advanced topics and obscure trees are not discussed in detail, though they may be briefly mentioned throughout the course.
If you live outside of the aforementioned regions, you are still welcome to enroll in TREES IN ALL SEASONS. Universal topics are covered throughout the course, including tree ecology, physiology, anatomy, taxonomy, and natural history. Additionally, a few trees with broad distributions are featured (e.g., quaking aspen, box elder, paper birch, tamarack, and black spruce). However, students at the beginner skill level who live in temperate eastern North America will predictably derive the most benefit from taking this course.
ENROLL NOWTREES DEMYSTIFIED
Relying solely on books and apps for guidance can be challenging and problematic. Field guides limit the number of photos for each tree species. Apps leave out key steps in the learning process and rarely provide lasting benefits.
TREES IN ALL SEASONS approaches tree identification as a skill that you can learn through focus and practice. With high-quality, full-length videos that thoroughly showcase each tree species in every season, this course lays the proper groundwork for turning students into successful identifiers of trees.
IDENTIFY TREES
SPRING, SUMMER,
FALL, & WINTER
What do the winter twigs look like? Are male and female flowers on different trees? When do the fruits ripen? What color is the autumn foliage?
TREES IN ALL SEASONS addresses these questions for every tree featured in the course, helping you become a year-round identifier of trees.
LEARN SIMILARITIES & DIFFERENCES
Let's face it: certain trees closely resemble other trees. In order to become a skilled identifier of trees, we must be able to observe subtle differences between species.
With detailed discussions and side-by-side images, TREES IN ALL SEASONS highlights important features that will help you determine the differences between closely related trees.
WHAT STUDENTS SAY
"As a beginner naturalist, I found Trees In All Seasons to be a great resource. The course is well organized and has excellent videography. In addition to tree types, Adam covers tree taxonomy, photosynthesis, and winter dormancy. He concludes with recommendations for field guides and websites. Above all, Adam Haritan is enthusiastic about his subject. He is truly the Steve Irwin of the plant kingdom."
—Cindy D.
"Nature provides much, if not everything. To understand this, one must have the willingness to partake in a few things: be in nature, study, and have an excellent educator. The excellent educator I found in Adam. I met Adam many years ago on a foray in Western PA and knew immediately that I found the right educator for me! I was fortunate enough to take both of his online courses. The things I love best about Adam are his knowledge, his enthusiasm to teach, and mostly his kindness and eagerness to help his students grow and learn. Trees In All Seasons is not only informative but visually appealing and organized. The content and lessons are easy to follow and understand. Novices to advanced beginners and even competent learners can benefit from his courses. After taking Trees In All Seasons, I find myself looking at trees in an entirely new way. The excitement of being able to identify a tree is beyond an awesome feeling. Plus — as a mushroom hunter, learning trees is essential (if not the first requirement in searching for fungi). This was the main reason, in addition to others, that I took this course. Thanks to Adam, my tree ID skills have improved immensely. I’m looking forward to his next online course."
—Lisa H.
"Your online courses do not disappoint. Your courses give awareness and respect for trees and nature as a whole. Your courses are so much more than reading a book on trees and foraging. They inspire. I would recommend them for all ages."
—Maurice P.
"I decided to purchase Trees In All Seasons because I wanted to be able to improve my mushroom foraging skills. I wanted to know which trees share relationships with which mushrooms. I ended up developing a deeper understanding of trees than I could have ever imagined. They all have names and characteristics, and they are my friends now. I love that I can point out trees and introduce them to my peers. My eyes notice leaf anatomy and bark textures. I used to see trees as homogenous masses, and I'm so grateful my perspective has changed. The quality of the content within this online course is superb. You can learn at your own pace, and each module has a very recognizable and easy-to-follow pattern. If you're curious about enrolling in Trees In All Seasons, do it."
—Alexa L.
"Trees In All Seasons makes botany cool again! Adam artfully teaches botany, taxonomy, and all the hard stuff in an easy-to-understand format that will take your tree identification to the next level."
—Ben E.
TREE IDENTIFICATION IS A FUNDAMENTAL SKILL
Trees are essential to life on earth. They are also essential to your understanding of nature. You may consider yourself to be a landowner, a forager, a birder, a herper, a hiker, a hunter, or a general nature enthusiast. No matter your specific interests, your ability to recognize and put a name on any tree that you see will greatly improve your overall ecological literacy. This is why tree identification is a fundamental skill: it supports all other nature skills and fosters a balanced understanding of ecology.
ENROLL NOWONE TREE AT A TIME
I remember what it was like to know very little about trees. All conifers were pines, crabapples were projectile objects, and buckeyes were peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate.
I've gained a lot of knowledge over the years, but I still remember taking those first uncertain steps in the general direction of becoming a skilled identifier of trees.
Through plenty of successes and even more failures, I've learned what works. I've also learned what doesn't work. What doesn't work is hoping that trees will reveal themselves to you without any effort on your part. What does work is committing to a structured plan that guides you through the learning process one tree at a time.
TREES IN ALL SEASONS is structured in this way. The high-quality videos within the course guide you through the process of becoming a proficient identifier of trees — one species at a time. After completing the course, your skills will improve and your confidence will grow. Perhaps more importantly, you'll be able to share your newfound knowledge with friends and family who may one day depend on you to answer that all-too-common question: "What tree is this?"
Enroll in TREES IN ALL SEASONS today and see for yourself just how rewarding tree identification can be.
