What can a child learn from a larch tree?

Un anno nel bosco - Le quattro stagioni del larice

Letizia Bazzanella

Student

Letizia Bazzanella

Academic staff

Klaus Hackl Giacomo Festi Ada Keller

Course

The Larch. Alpine Signature Tree. Ecosystem. Natural Resource.

Program

BA Major Design

Semester

2025/26 WS

“A Year in the Woods” is a wooden educational game kit for primary schools that takes children through the four seasons of the larch tree. Through stories, excursions, activities and experiments, the project combines play, observation and care for nature.

<p>AUTUMN - Who lives with me?</p><p>The autumn game is a free and collaborative activity that introduces children to the larch tree and its ecosystem. The wooden tree is assembled together by inserting the branches into the main structure. Once assembled, children can add, move or remove animals from the larch ecosystem, attaching them to the branches or trunk using the joints. The game has no predetermined end goal: it serves to remember and rework what has been observed in the forest, stimulating dialogue and storytelling. The tree then remains in the classroom as a constant presence and point of reference throughout the year.</p> — AUTUMN - Who lives with me?
The autumn game is a free and collaborative activity that introduces children to the larch tree and its ecosystem. The wooden tree is assembled together by inserting the branches into the main structure. Once assembled, children can add, move or remove animals from the larch ecosystem, attaching them to the branches or trunk using the joints. The game has no predetermined end goal: it serves to remember and rework what has been observed in the forest, stimulating dialogue and storytelling. The tree then remains in the classroom as a constant presence and point of reference throughout the year.

<p>WINTER - The circles of life</p><p>In the winter game, children reconstruct the trunk of a larch tree using its growth rings. The wooden discs are assembled in order, from oldest to most recent, forming the complete trunk. Each ring corresponds to a narrative tile that tells what happens to the tree in that year: how it grows, how it reacts to the cold and how it records the passing of time. The game helps children understand the concept of slow growth, the memory of trees and the relationship between the environment and development.</p> — WINTER - The circles of life
In the winter game, children reconstruct the trunk of a larch tree using its growth rings. The wooden discs are assembled in order, from oldest to most recent, forming the complete trunk. Each ring corresponds to a narrative tile that tells what happens to the tree in that year: how it grows, how it reacts to the cold and how it records the passing of time. The game helps children understand the concept of slow growth, the memory of trees and the relationship between the environment and development.

<p>SPRING - Hidden Paths</p><p>The Spring game is a collaborative maze designed for four children. Each child holds one corner of the wooden panel and, moving it carefully, guides a small ball along the engraved paths, inspired by the tracks of insects under the bark. The goal is not to get to the end quickly, but to coordinate, communicate and maintain balance. The game reveals the hidden paths of spring life in the larch tree and emphasises the importance of collaboration.</p> — SPRING - Hidden Paths
The Spring game is a collaborative maze designed for four children. Each child holds one corner of the wooden panel and, moving it carefully, guides a small ball along the engraved paths, inspired by the tracks of insects under the bark. The goal is not to get to the end quickly, but to coordinate, communicate and maintain balance. The game reveals the hidden paths of spring life in the larch tree and emphasises the importance of collaboration.

<p>SUMMER - Putting down roots</p><p>The summer game is a modular tree inspired by a balancing system. It starts with a base consisting only of roots. In turn, the children draw an action card that indicates whether to add or remove a root, add or remove a disc-trunk, or skip their turn. Each choice affects the stability of the tree. The game shows how natural and environmental factors can strengthen or weaken the tree, helping children understand the concept of balance and fragility in ecosystems.</p> — SUMMER - Putting down roots
The summer game is a modular tree inspired by a balancing system. It starts with a base consisting only of roots. In turn, the children draw an action card that indicates whether to add or remove a root, add or remove a disc-trunk, or skip their turn. Each choice affects the stability of the tree. The game shows how natural and environmental factors can strengthen or weaken the tree, helping children understand the concept of balance and fragility in ecosystems.

A project made in the course

The Larch. Alpine Signature Tree. Ecosystem. Natural Resource.

In the Winter Semester 2025/26, sixteen students explored the European larch (Larix decidua) as the starting point for a research-based design project rooted in the ecological, material, and cultural realities of our Alpine region. As a defining tree of the subalpine zone, the larch is remarkably well adapted to harsh mountain conditions and demonstrates significant resilience in the face of climate change. Our investigation focused on the tree’s unique qualities not only as a building material and a carrier of cultural identity, but also as a living organism embedded within complex ecological and (agri-)cultural systems. To develop a situated understanding, students conducted fieldwork in larch forests in Val Badia and visited the ancient larches (Ur-Lärchen) of Val d’Ultimo. These excursions enabled close engagement with forest ecologies, silvicultural practices, timber processing, and the historical use of larch wood in regional architecture and material culture.

Explore this course

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