Have you ever touched the side of a tree and realized it was covered in something sticky? What you were likely feeling was tree resin. Tree resin is a thick, sticky liquid that the tree secretes when it gets damaged. The resin hardens when it dries and acts almost like a bandage. Over millions of years, that dried resin can become amber. This golden-colored fossil is popular for use in jewelry and perfumes. Interestingly, small plants and animals can get caught in the tree’s sticky resin, eventually fossilizing along with the amber. There are several types of insects trapped in the amber pictured here—can you see them?
