Location orientation. Orienteering. Interesting facts about the North Star

After reading this article, you will become familiar with the concept of orientation. What does this concept mean, what are its methods and types, the history of orienteering - we will touch on all this in our story. First of all, you need to decide on the key term. Let's talk about such a concept as orientation. Each of us knows that such a concept exists. And many can even explain it: this is the ability to correctly determine the cardinal directions, as well as imagine the location of settlements and the direction of roads to the place where you are. You can always find your way if you know the location of the four cardinal directions. These are south (S), north (N), west (W) and east (E). Let's now talk in more detail about such a concept as orientation.

What is terrain orientation

This is a very broad concept. You can navigate by compass, map, sun, stars, clock, natural phenomena and signs, as well as various tips. For example, if you look out the window in the morning and see people walking with umbrellas, you will understand that it is raining outside. If you notice snow, dress warmer. This is, so to speak, “everyday” orientation.

What is orientation and why is it necessary? It represents one of the most important conditions ensuring human life, as well as necessary for the successful solution of assigned tasks. Using the or card is easy. However, sometimes it is necessary to act without having either a compass or a map with you. Therefore, you should know other ways to navigate the terrain.

When preparing for a hike, you need to pay special attention to instilling the appropriate skills, methods, rules and techniques that will help you do without the use of a compass and map.

Orientation by the Sun

You may know that its rising and setting locations vary depending on the time of year. The sun rises in the southeast in winter and sets in the southwest. In summer, it rises in the northeast and sets in the northwest. In autumn and spring, the Sun rises in the east and sets in the west. It must be remembered that at noon it is always located towards the south, regardless of the time of year. At 13 o'clock the shortest shadow from objects is observed. At this time, its direction from objects located vertically points to the north. If the Sun is hidden by clouds, you can put a knife on your fingernail. A shadow will appear, at least a small one, and it will be clear where it is.

According to the Sun and the clock

You should point the hour hand towards the Sun. The angle formed between the number 1 (13 o'clock) and the clockwise direction must be divided in half using an imaginary line. She will show you the direction: behind is north, in front is south. It must be remembered that the left corner should be divided before 13 o'clock and the right corner in the afternoon.

By the North Star

There are many ways to navigate the terrain. One of the most famous is based on the North Star. This star is always in the north. In order to find it, you must first find the constellation Ursa Major. This constellation resembles a bucket, which is formed from 7 stars, quite bright. Next, you should mentally draw a line through the 2 rightmost stars. On it you need to plot the distance between them, multiplied by five. At the end of the line we will find the North Star. It is located in the tail of Ursa Minor, another constellation. If we face this star, we will be facing north.

By the Moon

In order to navigate the terrain well, you need to remember that the Moon is visible in the south at 20 o’clock in the first quarter, and in the west at 2 o’clock in the morning. If we are talking about the last quarter, then in the east the Moon will be at 2 am, and in the south - at 8 am. The sides of the horizon at night during a full moon are determined in the same way as by the Sun and the clock. In this case, the Moon is used instead of the Sun. It must be remembered that when it is full, it opposes the Sun. In other words, it is located against him.

Method of orientation by melting snow

We continue to talk about what orientation in geography is. We have not yet described all of its methods. This article only talks about the main ones. One of the most common methods is to navigate by melting snow. The south side of all objects is known to heat up more than the north. This means that snow melts faster on this side as well. This is clearly visible in early spring, as well as in winter, during thaws, from the snow stuck to stones, holes near trees, and the slopes of ravines.

By the shadow

At noon, the shadow is shortest and its direction points north. To avoid waiting for it to appear, you can proceed as follows. You need to stick a stick into the ground, the length of which is approximately 1 m. Next you need to mark the end of its shadow. Then you should wait about 10-15 minutes, and then repeat the procedure. From the first to the second position of the shadow, you need to draw a line, and then extend it beyond the second mark by about a step. Stand with the toe of your left foot opposite the 1st mark, and place the toe of your right foot at the end of the line you drew. You are now facing north.

By buildings

A certain type of building is oriented strictly to the cardinal points. These include churches, synagogues, and mosques. The chapels and altars of Lutheran and peasant churches always face east, and the bell towers of these buildings always face west. You can also navigate by the dome of the Orthodox Church, or rather, by the cross on it. The edge of its lower crossbar, which is lowered, faces south, and is raised to the north. On the western side there are altars of Catholic churches. The doors of Muslim mosques and synagogues face approximately north.

Usually the exit from the yurts is to the south. In villages, houses have more windows on the south side. Another important sign is that on the south side, the paint on the walls of buildings fades more and takes on a faded color.

Clearings in the forest

You can determine the cardinal directions in cultivated forests by clearings. They are usually cut along east-west and north-south lines. You can also get your bearings by the inscriptions of block numbers, which are made on pillars placed at the intersection of clearings. At the top of each such pillar and on each of the 4 faces, numbers are placed. The north direction shows the edge between the two edges that have the smallest numbers on them.

no watch

If you lose or break your watch, you can find the local time with relative accuracy using a compass. For this purpose, azimuth orientation is used. What it is? It is necessary to measure the azimuth to the Sun. Once you determine it, you need to divide the resulting value by 15. This is the amount by which the Sun rotates per hour. The resulting number will indicate the time. For example, the azimuth to the Sun is 180°. Therefore, the time is 12 hours.

Orienteering

Surely you are familiar with the phrase “orienteering”. The sport is based on the fact that participants must pass control points located on the ground using a compass and a sports map. As a rule, results are determined by the time spent completing the distance (sometimes penalty time is taken into account). A calculation method based on the number of points scored by participants can also be used.

Today, competitions in this sport are held in various groups. They can be both by skill level and by age. The length of the distance and its difficulty are determined by the difficulty of the terrain and age group. The route (distance) must be unknown to all participants, and also contain certain difficulties that must be overcome, having good physical shape and the ability to navigate.

History of orienteering

Since ancient times, people have known what terrain orientation is. It is known that even then they used the skills and abilities associated with it. However, a review of historical facts usually begins with military competitions that were held in the northern states of Europe. It is believed that orienteering as a sport appeared at the end of the 19th century. It was then that the first competitions were organized between a number of military garrisons in Norway, Sweden, and Great Britain. On October 31, 1897, the first mass competitions among citizens were held. Thus, many people learned about what orienteering is, the definition of which in our time every schoolchild can give. However, the real birth of this sport took place in 1918. It was then that Major E. Killander from Stockholm decided to use the environment of the Swedish countryside to organize. During the competitions he invented, runners not only ran, but also had to choose their own routes using a compass and map.

By 1934, orienteering as a sport had spread to Switzerland, Hungary and the USSR. National championships for women and men began to be held annually in Sweden, Finland and Norway by the beginning of World War II. In 1960, Open International competitions took place in the Stockholm area. Representatives from 7 countries took part in them. Today this sport is very popular. There are several of them: running, skiing, cycling, trail orienteering, etc. Competitions are held for each of them.

Now you can talk about what orienteering is. Tourism, sports, and survival in extreme conditions combine this concept. Orientation allows you to find your way anywhere on our planet in an unfamiliar area. Knowing its basics, you will not be afraid of getting lost in the forest or anywhere else.

Despite the widespread use of all kinds of GPS navigators in recent years, old, reliable, time-tested methods of orienteering should always be in the arsenal of any self-respecting tourist.

For orientation on the terrain you need to correctly determine your location relative to the sides of the horizon and particularly prominent objects (landmarks) and accurately maintain the chosen direction of movement towards a given object.

Orientation in space

• By map;
• By compass
• According to folk signs

Orientation on the map

The map will be a faithful assistant only the tourist who knows how to “read” it, that is, knows all the symbols for various objects and landmarks, understands scaling, and knows how to determine the cardinal directions from it (usually north is always on top, south is below, east is on the right, west is on the left). Naturally, you need to take care of this before you get into an unfamiliar area with the map. To navigate on a map, you need to “link” the objects depicted on it to real objects on the ground.

The best way to do this is to find one of the fairly extended landmarks on the ground (a road, a clearing in the forest, a river bank, a power line, etc.), go to it, find it on the map, and by rotating the map relative to the cardinal points, make sure the direction matches real landmark with the one shown on the map. In this case, smaller objects: hills, ravines, groves, isolated trees or buildings located on the ground to the right or left of the selected main landmark should be there on the map. Then, based on the relative position of nearby landmarks and the eye-determined, or measured by steps, distance between them, you can determine your location on the map. After which you can begin to plot the route to the selected point of movement and determine its length, necessary turns and main landmarks.

Makes it much easier to navigate the terrain presence of a compass, which allows you to immediately determine the sides of the horizon and not deviate from the direction of the chosen route while driving. A compass is especially indispensable in conditions where there are few noticeable landmarks, for example, in the desert, tundra, dense forest, or in conditions of poor visibility.

You just need to take into account that the compass will not give accurate readings near power lines, iron objects, some electronic devices, in places of ore anomalies. In these cases, compass readings should be supplemented, if possible, with local orientation data.

Orientation by compass

To do this, you need to place it horizontally and wait until the needle stops oscillating, after which it will point north. If you have a card, it must be positioned with the upper side of the frame in the direction of the north so that the vertical line of the coordinate grid coincides with the axis of the compass needle.

After this it is carried out standard location on the map and a route for further movement is laid out in azimuth (the angle between the indication of the compass needle and the direction of movement we need).

Orientation based on local characteristics and folk signs

In the absence of a compass, the direction of the sides of the horizon will help determine a large number, namely:

• According to the Sun, Moon And to the stars(for example, the North Star always points to the north and in cloudless weather at night it completely replaces a compass);
• By plants(for example, mosses and lichens develop on the damper northern sides of trees, stumps, boulders; grass grows better from the south of separate objects, and from the north stays fresh longer in hot weather; clearings in the forest are always cut strictly from north to south and from west to east);
• By animals(for example, steppe bees always nest on the south side of walls or large stones, anthills are located to the south of the nearest stumps, trees and bushes, and the southern side of anthills is always flatter);
• By relief, soil moisture, snow melting;
• By buildings(for example, the altars of Orthodox churches always face east, and the upward edge of the lower crossbar of crosses on domes always points to the north; on old buildings on the north side there are often overgrowths of moss and lichens on the walls or roof, the soil near them is damper or there is snow does not melt longer).

From the video, you will learn how to apply orienteering signs in practice. Particular attention should be paid to orientation by the clock.

In conclusion, it can be noted that over the many centuries of its existence, humanity has developed many methods of orientation on the ground, as the primary condition for human survival in unfamiliar or sparsely populated areas.

And provided that a person is previously acquainted with this science, there is every chance, while maintaining composure and a sober mind, to get out of any extreme situation with honor associated with loss of orientation in space in an unfamiliar and uninhabited area.

Any experienced tourist probably has his own methods of navigating the terrain, developed through personal hiking practice. I think everyone will be interested in learning about such exclusive methods from site readers who have experience hiking and traveling through the vast expanses of our beautiful planet!

Game exercise system

Stage I
(Classes for children 4 years old)

1. Exercises performed in a group room and at home:

“Show and name what is in front (behind, left, right)”;

“Explain where the toy is”;

“Take the pyramid and put it on the shelf on the right”;

Task: find a toy in the room according to the verbal instructions of an adult (for example: “Go straight, turn left at the table, go to the outer window and look for the doll on the right”);

Various tasks to find an object according to the number of steps.

2. Similar tasks performed on the territory of the kindergarten and in the courtyard of the house:

Introductory tour of the kindergarten site and the yard of the house (task: to formulate where everything is located in relation to the child);

Finding a toy according to the verbal instructions of an adult (for example: “Walk straight along the path to the sandbox, turn left, go to the house, there you will find a toy”).

Stage II
(Classes for children 5 years old)

1. Working with a model of a doll’s room with furniture (joint examination of the doll’s room and depicting it to adults using simple geometric shapes).

2. Creation by adults, with the active help of children, of a map diagram of a play or living room, the boundaries of which are walls with windows and doors.

3. Conversation with examination of the map diagram of the premises. Tasks: show and name an object in the room, find its image on a map (you can use color as an assistant).

4. Children individually draw up a map diagram of the group or their room on a sheet of paper. (Adult assistance is required in maintaining the scale of the diagram.)

5. Exercises with a diagram map.

The adult draws with a dotted line on the diagram map the route that the child is asked to “go” along.

Competition: who will complete their route faster and more accurately.

Important Tips:
when moving, the map-scheme must be held in front of you so that its main details - walls, windows, doors - coincide with their actual location;
constant reference point: look at the door first.

Games “Find where the toys are hidden”, “Arrange the toys as indicated on the diagram map.”

6. Orientation at the kindergarten site (in the courtyard of the house).

Studying the symbols of trees, bushes, equipment, coloring of symbols.

Drawing up a site plan for adults and children.

Exercises: “Walk along our site from the veranda to the sandbox, moving in accordance with the arrows shown on the map,” “How to get from the veranda to the sandbox?”

Joint drawing up by adults and children of a schematic map of two or three group areas.

Drawing up “small” maps by every child who wishes.

Game with a card.

The site is conventionally divided into 4 routes: for example, red, blue, yellow, green. Objects or toys familiar to children in the indicated four colors are placed along the routes as landmarks. On the schematic map, the routes are depicted with color signs corresponding to the placed landmarks, which at the same time serve as turn signals along the route.
Each team member (a team of about four children) is given a map with the upcoming route marked on it. Children must follow their route, remember landmarks, and then draw them with felt-tip pens on a general map. You can also cycle along the route.

Independent games like “Cossacks-Robbers”: one of the teams runs away, marking its direction with arrows, the other looks for it.

Stage III
(Classes for children 6 years old)

1. Study of a map-scheme drawn up by adults of the entire territory of the kindergarten (you can focus on several map options).

2. Joint drawing up of a map of the kindergarten territory by adults and children.

3. Orienteering exercises using miniature maps. First, the place of “start” and “finish” is a door, gate or gate, then other landmarks.

"Street Labyrinths"

"Beast Hunting" Pictures depicting various predatory animals are attached to small cardboards. The pictures are placed on the territory of the kindergarten, serving as route markers. The list of animals on a particular route is sketched by the teacher on a control card. As they progress along the route, children collect pictures of animals and give them to an adult to evaluate the completion of the task.

Exercises to develop memory: a part of the kindergarten territory is covered on the map and children are asked to draw it from memory.

Treasure Hunt game. Children are given a map diagram of two areas indicating the point where the “treasure” is hidden. You need to find the “treasure” according to the plan.

Competition games on bicycles along the route.

Game “Traffic Light”: participants follow the map in the hands of an adult: “green” means fast running, “yellow” means slow, “red” means stopping.

Games: “The most observant”, “Who is faster”, “Pathfinders”, “Don’t get lost”, “Find and remember”, “The most attentive”.

4. Introducing the compass.

Examination, examination, and a story from an adult about the design of the device and its purpose.

Exercises and games with a compass (choosing the direction of movement using a compass).

5. Orientation by the sun, moon, stars.

6. Orientation by natural phenomena and objects.

7. Orienteering competitions in the kindergarten area.

8. Tourist walks to nearby parks.

9. Family hiking trips (walking, cycling, driving).

10. Possible prospect: holding a family tourist gathering.

Olga SAPOZHNIKOVA,
senior teacher of preschool educational institution No. 213,
Rostov-on-Don

In this video lesson, the topic “Orientation on the ground according to a plan” is presented. Anyone can learn how to use a site plan. The teacher will tell you what the main and minor sides of the horizon are, what azimuth is, how to determine it, how to correctly navigate the terrain according to the plan, and what methods exist for determining the sides of the horizon.

Topic: Plan and map

Lesson: Orientation based on a plan

1. Introduction

The purpose of the lesson: to find out what sides of the horizon there are, what azimuth is and how to determine it, to learn to determine the sides of the horizon.

In geography, the sides of the horizon (light) are the main directions of the four (north, south, west, east).

The directions “north” and “south” are determined by the Earth’s poles, and “east” and “west” are associated with the rotation of the planet around its axis.

In addition to dividing the horizon into four directions - north, south, west, east - as orientation problems developed, additional divisions with intermediate directions were introduced: northwest, northeast, southwest, southeast; There are now eight directions in total.

Later, the following intermediate divisions were introduced: north-northwest (NNW), west-northwest (WNW), etc., bringing the number of directions to 16.

Rice. 1. Sides of the horizon

3. Orientation

Orientation- ability to determine the sides of the horizon; determining your location relative to the sides of the horizon.

You can navigate by the Sun, by the stars, by local signs, by objects of nature. First, the direction to the north is determined.

Rice. 2. Determining the sides of the horizon by the midday Sun (the shadow falls to the north)

The best way to navigate is with a compass. To determine the sides of the horizon using a compass (approximately, without taking into account magnetic declination), you need to release the magnetic needle brake and set the compass horizontally. Then turn it so that the north end of the magnetic needle is opposite the letter C, which represents north. With this position of the compass, the letters B, 3 and Y will indicate the directions east, west and south, respectively. In any of these directions, you can select a landmark on the ground, which will later be used for orientation while moving.

Rice. 3. Compass

This is the angle between the direction north and the direction towards the object being studied, measured clockwise. Measured in degrees.

Rice. 4. Azimuth

5. Direction on the plan

Plans and maps are oriented to the north, i.e. north on top, south on bottom. In addition, the direction of the sides of the horizon is often shown with arrows.

Rice. 5. Plan with the direction “north-south”

6. Methods of orientation

There are different ways to navigate:

In northern latitudes on summer nights, from the proximity of the setting Sun to the horizon, the northern side of the sky is the lightest, the southern side is darker. The highest position of the Sun is determined by the length of the shortest shadow, which corresponds to noon, and its direction in the northern hemisphere points to the north (see figure). This is true only between the North Pole and the Tropic of the North.

The rule is applicable in the following cases:

a) when the Sun is at its zenith (shadow at the base of the object);

b) at the equator, where the midday shadow is directed north for half a year (from September 24 to March 20) and south for half a year (from March 21 to September 23);

c) in latitudes between the equator and the tropics, where the shadow also changes direction. In the southern hemisphere, on the contrary, the shadow points south.

Rice. 6. Orientation by the Sun

With relative accuracy, the sides of the horizon can be determined by the Sun using a watch. To do this, holding the watch horizontally, you need to turn it so that the hour hand is directed towards the Sun. In this case, the bisector of the angle between the hour hand and the direction to the number 12 on the dial will point south. It should be remembered that before noon it is necessary to divide the angle on the dial that the hour hand must pass before 12 o'clock in the afternoon - the angle that it has passed after 12 o'clock.

Rice. 7. Orientation by the Sun using a watch

On a cloudless night, the sides of the horizon are most easily determined by the North Star, which always points north with an accuracy of 1°.

The sun rises in the east and sets in the west.

Rice. 8. Different ways to navigate

In the absence of a compass, the cardinal directions can be determined as follows: the bark of most trees is rougher and darker on the north side; on coniferous trees, resin tends to accumulate on the south side; annual rings on fresh stumps on the north side are located closer to each other; on the north side, trees, stones, stumps, etc. are covered earlier and more abundantly with lichens and fungi; anthills are located on the southern side of trees, stumps and bushes, the southern slope of the anthills is gentle, the northern slope is steep; in summer, the soil near large stones, buildings, trees and bushes is drier on the south side; in free-standing trees, the crowns are more luxuriant and dense on the south side; the altars of Orthodox churches, chapels and Lutheran kirks face east, and the main entrances are located on the west side; the raised end of the lower crossbar of the church cross faces north.

Rice. 9. Moss on a tree from the north side

Homework

Paragraph 6.

1. What main sides of the horizon do you know?

Bibliography

Main

1. Basic course in geography: Textbook. for 6th grade. general education institutions / T. P. Gerasimova, N. P. Neklyukova. - 10th ed., stereotype. - M.: Bustard, 2010. - 176 p.

2. Geography. 6th grade: atlas. - 3rd ed., stereotype. - M.: Bustard, DIK, 2011. - 32 p.

3. Geography. 6th grade: atlas. - 4th ed., stereotype. - M.: Bustard, DIK, 2013. - 32 p.

4. Geography. 6th grade: cont. cards. - M.: DIK, Bustard, 2012. - 16 p.

Encyclopedias, dictionaries, reference books and statistical collections

1. Geography. Modern illustrated encyclopedia / A. P. Gorkin. - M.: Rosman-Press, 2006. - 624 p.

Literature for preparing for the State Exam and the Unified State Exam

1. Geography: initial course. Tests. Textbook manual for 6th grade students. - M.: Humanite. ed. VLADOS center, 2011. - 144 p.

Modern man is moving more and more away from nature, stops feeling it. No wonder. After all, the connection with nature is lost as we become familiar with modern technologies, the comfort and convenience that they create. But being cut off from all this, a person will become helpless; he will not even be able to orient himself in space and understand which way he needs to go.

In ancient times, people easily navigated space, as they were closely connected with nature. It was she who prompted them in the right direction at different times of the year. In this article we will describe the most famous signs of terrain orientation.

Sun orientation

1 way

Depending on the time of year, we observe sunrise and sunset in different places: In summer, sunrise is observed in the northeast, and sunset in the northwest; In autumn and spring, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west; In winter, sunrise occurs in the southeast and sunset in the southwest.

Method 2

If you took a wristwatch with you, then this will greatly facilitate the task of spatial orientation in sunny weather. Point the hour hand of your watch towards the sun. Then visually divide the angle between the hour hand and the number 1 (13 o'clock in the afternoon) into 2 equal parts. This dividing line will indicate the directions - south in front, north in back. An important point is that before one o’clock in the afternoon the left corner should be divided, and after one o’clock the right corner should be divided.

Orientation by the stars

In the northern hemisphere. In case you need help finding your way at night in the northern hemisphere, the North Star will help you. To begin with, you need to find the constellation Ursa Major, the photo of which you see below. After this, you need to mentally imagine a line and draw it through 2 stars located on the edge on the right side of the bucket. This line is visually extended by 5 segments equal to the distance between these stars. And at the very end of this line there will be the polar star, which is located in the constellation Ursa Minor. Turning to face it, you will be looking north.

In the southern hemisphere. The locations of stars in the southern and northern hemispheres differ significantly from each other. If in the northern hemisphere we were guided by the Big Dipper, which is well known to almost every person, then in the southern hemisphere our guide is the constellation of the Southern Cross. This constellation consists of 5 bright stars. 4 of them are the extreme points of the cross. Through these points it is necessary to draw 2 lines forming a cross. It turns out that one line of this cross is much longer than the other - we see, as it were, a cross with a handle for holding. This same handle needs to be continued further, increasing it 4 times and lowering it vertically to the horizon line. The point where this line touches the horizon will point south.

Orientation by the moon

It is important to navigate by the moon when, due to clouds covering the sky, other luminaries are not visible on it. To determine the cardinal directions, you need to know what phase the moon is in at the moment. A young waxing moon can be seen in the western sky, decreasing - in the east. In the evening, the first quarter of the moon is in the south. Also, during the full moon at 1 am and in the third quarter phase at 7 am, the moon is on the south side.

Plant orientation

Mushrooms and moss. Usually mushrooms and moss grow under trees or on stumps. But have you noticed that most of these plants are concentrated on only one side of the tree or stump? The fact is that moss and mushrooms love to grow on the north side. Therefore, this simple and correct way of orienting oneself in space was very common in ancient times, when people often went into the forest to pick berries and mushrooms. There are usually significantly fewer mushrooms on the western or eastern side of trees or stumps than on the northern side. And on the south side they generally grow very rarely, especially if the summer is dry and hot. Particular attention should be paid to red saffron milk caps, since they grow in the same place every year. Saffron milk caps growing on the south side have a blue-greenish color and a rough, dry surface, despite the fact that the mushroom itself is juicy and red when cut.

Berries. Berries, like mushrooms, were considered good guides many centuries ago. In open forest clearings, berries (cranberries, lingonberries, cloudberries, blueberries, blueberries) ripened faster on the south side. Accordingly, north is in the opposite direction. And in the forest on the south side, the berries warm up better and ripen faster than on the north side.

Grass. Spring grass cover tends to be thicker on shady, north-facing sites. In summer, around trees, pillars, large stones, stumps, the density of grass seems uniform, but if you look closely, you will notice that on the south side the grass cover is much thicker than from the north. From mid-summer, due to the abundance of sun, the grass begins to acquire a yellow tint. And only on the northern side does it remain green for a long time.

Tree bark. You can tell where north and south are by looking at the bark of a tree. For greater reliability, 3-4 trees should be studied. On the north side the bark is darker in color and is covered with moss, and on the south side, on the contrary, the bark is lighter and harder.

Birch. Birch is an amazing tree, kind, light and clean. This light-loving Russian beauty is an excellent helper for those who are lost. On the southern side, the birch bark is much cleaner, smoother and lighter than on the northern side, where there are various roughnesses and damages. In particularly hot conditions, birch adapts to elevated temperatures. Its trunks seem to lean towards the north. In this case, the branches of the birch can even touch the ground.

Tree crown and tree rings. It is popularly believed that on the southern side the crown of trees is voluminous and thicker, and the annual rings of the tree trunk are wider. But everything is not as clear as it seems at first glance. These indicators have different values ​​in different climatic conditions. For example, in the southern zones, where dry summers are observed, annual rings are thicker on the north side. On the same side there is also a more pronounced crown of the tree. And in cool places, where there is less heat and light, on the contrary, the tree is more developed on the south side. That is, it turns out that the tree develops more favorably on the side where it feels comfortable in certain climatic conditions.

So, now you have an idea of ​​terrain orientation in different seasons and days, as well as in different climatic conditions. This simple information can serve you as a good help if you find yourself alone with nature without any guiding devices.

Or perhaps you have already encountered such a situation and you know about all this first-hand. Maybe you even have some observations of your own that can help you find the right direction without modern devices. In that case, we will be glad if you share this valuable information with us.