Our Family Tree: Nature it!

To NURTURE is to care for and encourage the growth or development of.

As genealogists, we NURTURE our Family Trees, helping them grow.
Here are some ways to nurture your family tree.

Plant the Seeds 

[Seeds of interest so others will want to learn more about the family]

·     Tell stories of Revolutionary War soldiers at a 4^thof July BBQ.

·     Display family heirlooms at family gatherings & tell who they once belonged to.

·     Share family recipes & include a biography of the person who once cooked the dish.

·     Hang pictures of ancestors on your Christmas tree; Make it a family tree

·     Have a Family Scavenger Hunt. Find someone who was once in the military; someone who has lived in 3 different states; someone who can build a log cabin…

Fertilize the Young Tree 

[Once you have their interest find ways to get others involved]

·     Make a Family Calendar that includes as many family birthdays & anniversaries, past & present as possible to make everyone feel a part of the bigger tree.

·     Write a blog or a website family members can read & learn.

·     Ask family members for their stories; everyone should be included.

·     Share family photos on a private FaceBook page.

·     Include cousins for a day at an archive, cemetery or library.

Water the Growing Tree

[Continue your research]

·     Find out new information to keep the tree growing. 

·     Edit your work. Rethink your conclusions. Be sure of your facts.

·     Start an Ancestry Tree & include sources.

Protect the Tree

·     Preserve old photos.

·     Back up your computer records.

·     Find someone in the next generation to carry on your work.

Sit under the tree & enjoy its beauty

·     Share your stories in a book.

·     Write a children’s version for the youngsters.

·     Whenever the family gathers, tell the stories you have learned.