The Trees Fight Back UFLI Foundations Lesson 99

This game is full of forests. They stretch far over the land, full of tall oak and birch trees. The trees grow so close that the branches almost meet. Down on the forest floor, it stays cool and dark, even when the sun is bright. Forests are packed with life, and there is always more to find.

Trees give you wood, the top thing to have in the game. With it, you can make tools, axes, and a bow. You can make bridges, boats, and homes from planks, too. Every new player must chop a tree in the very first minutes of the game. Without trees, you can not make things, and you can not get very far at all.

Forests can be tricky places to roam. The trees grow so thick that you can only see a few blocks ahead. Spiders and other mobs hide behind the trunks and wait. You must watch out when you walk between the trees. One wrong turn, and something could jump out from the dark. Always keep watch in the forest.

Not all forests look the same. Flower forests are packed with bright blooms and oak trees. Birch forests are full of tall trees with white and black trunks. The branches reach up high above the ground. Each kind of forest has its own look and its own set of things to find. Which kind do you want to see first?

Some forests have trees that only grow in one place. Dark oak trees grow in the dark forest, where their wide trunks shoot up very tall. The canopy above is so thick it blocks out the sun, and the forest floor stays dim even on a bright day. The wood from these trees is good for making rich, dark homes and strong walls. If you want dark oak for your work, the dark forest is the only place to find it.

Dark forests are not safe places. The thick tops of the trees block so much sunlight that the woods stay dim, even in the middle of the day. Bad mobs can spawn at any time down on the forest floor. They do not wait for night. They roam the woods all day and all night. Watch your back.

Forests give you much more than just wood. You can pick up seeds, flowers, and ferns from the forest floor. Bees live in nests up in the trees. Forests are full of things to find and collect. Each time you go into a forest, there is something new to spot among the roots and branches.

In the real world, forests must be looked after well. If too many trees are cut down at once, the land turns open and dry. The rains wash the soil away. The birds and the sheep have no homes when the trees are gone. Even by the stumps, the sheep have no safe spot to rest. The forest can not grow back if all the trees are cut down.

Forests are home to thousands of birds, bugs, and plants. When all the trees are cut, there is no food and no shelter left. A pig and a sheep stand still among the stumps, with no shade and no place to hide. Without the trees, all of the forest stops working. When too many trees are cut, it can wipe out all the things that live there.

But forests can grow back, if we help them. When a forest is cut down, people can plant new trees in the open ground. Small sprouts push up from the dirt and reach for the sky. Day by day, the sprouts grow tall. The birds come back. The forest fills with life again.

Forests take in bad gases and send back clean ones that help us breathe. Healthy forests help keep the planet well. Every sprout we set in the ground helps. In Minecraft or in the real world, planting brings life back. The forest stretches on, full of roots and seeds and buzzing bees.