Driftwood facts for kids
Driftwood is simply wood that has been carried by water and washed up on a shore. This can happen in a sea, river, or lake. Winds, tides, and waves often move the wood. Sometimes, people also place wooden objects into the water, which can become driftwood.
Even though a lot of driftwood can sometimes be a problem in certain areas, it's very important for nature. As driftwood floats in the ocean, it gives shelter and food to birds, fish, and other water creatures. Tiny animals like gribbles and shipworms, along with bacteria, help to break down the wood. This process slowly turns the wood into nutrients that go back into the food web, helping other living things.
When partially broken-down wood washes ashore, it continues to be useful. It provides shelter for birds, plants, and other species on the land. Driftwood can even become the base for sand dunes to form, helping to shape coastlines.
Driftwood can come from many sources:
- A tree or part of a tree that falls into a large body of water due to strong winds or floods.
- Parts of buildings or their contents that end up in the sea because of floods, storms, or tsunamis.
- Wooden items that people have put into the water from the shore.
- Pieces of old wooden ships and boats.
- Lost cargo from ships.
Contents
Driftwood Through History
Driftwood has played a role in stories and daily life for a long time.
Ancient Beliefs
In Norse mythology, which are old stories from northern Europe, the very first humans were said to have been made from two pieces of driftwood. The gods Odin, Ve, and Vili found an ash tree log and an elm tree log. They then shaped these pieces of wood into the first man and woman, named Ask and Embla.
Life in the Arctic
For some Inuit people and other groups living in the Arctic, driftwood was incredibly important. These populations lived north of the tree-line, where trees don't grow. This meant that driftwood carried by Arctic rivers was often their main, or even only, source of wood. They used it for building, tools, and fuel until they started trading regularly with European explorers and traders.
Modern Uses
Today, many people use driftwood in creative ways. It's often turned into beautiful pieces of furniture or other art forms. You might also see driftwood used as part of the scenery in fish tanks, giving fish a natural place to hide and explore.
Images for kids
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A beach on the West Coast of New Zealand covered by drift wood.
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A sign made of driftwood in Hokitika, New Zealand.
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Driftwood provides a perch for a bald eagle on Fir Island, Washington.
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These large Sequoia sempervirens logs were shaped by waves before landing in a ravine. Their natural resistance to decay keeps them strong for decades.
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Driftwood appears to envelop boulder.
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Driftwood sculpture of a horse by artist Heather Jansch at the Eden Project.
See also
In Spanish: Madera flotante para niños
