Transformation Example: Huon Pine

Read the following extracts from a Tasmanian Forestry Commission

leaflet aimed at an adult audience.
The Tree
Huon pine (Lagarostrobus franklinii, formerly Dacrydium franklinii) is the
only member of the genus Lagarostrobus in Tasmania, and it is related to
species in Chile, Malaysia and New Zealand. It is endemic to Tasmania, i.e.
it grows naturally in Tasmania and nowhere else.
Huon pine is easily recognised by its feathery foliage and hanging branches;
it is similar in appearance to the common cypress.
Huon pine produces pollen and seeds in small, inconspicuous cones with
male and female cones on separate trees.
History
The timber has been highly prized since the early days of the colony. One of
the reasons for establishing a convict settlement on Sarah Island, Macquarie
Harbour in 1821 was for harvesting Huon pine from the Gordon River.
For decades piners worked on the west coast rivers under gruelling
conditions, seeking out the trees which grew not only on the alluvial river
banks but often up the nearby slopes.
After the trees were felled they were manhandled to the river edges to take
advantage of the fact that the Huon pine is one of the few native timbers
which floats when green. As flood waters bore the logs downstream men
worked from their specially built punts to free them and keep them moving
on their way to a log boon built across the river and then onto the mills.

Imagine that you want to use this information for an educational

reference book entitled, Unusual Trees of the World to be aimed at
young children (10 to 12 years old).
In order to transform this text for a younger audience, it would be
necessary to alter the selection of vocabulary; for example, by
removing the Latinate terms and finding synonyms for the scientific
and higher register terms.

As well as considering the selection of vocabulary, you should also

look at the ways in which this text combines words. For example, the
first sentence is a compound sentence with two clauses. The patterns
of grammar can be simplified for a younger audience by using more
simple sentences. In addition, passive structures could be changed to
active, thereby making it easier to read and creating a more personal
style.
Finally, the information you can assume that your audience knows
also has be to considered. You should think about what knowledge
younger children would already have about trees, and what they are
not likely to know.
Taking all of these factors
transformation would be:

into

consideration,

possible

The Tree
Huon pine is the only member of its family of pine trees in Tasmania. There
are other pines like it in Chile, Malaysia and New Zealand. It grows
naturally in Tasmania and nowhere else.
You can easily recognize Huon pine by its feathery leaves and hanging
branches. It looks like the common cypress.
Huon pine makes pollen and seeds in small cones that are not easy to see.
Male and female cones are on separate trees.

History
People have valued the wood of the Huon pine very much ever since the
early days when Europeans first came to Tasmania. They set up a convict
settlement* on Sarah Island, Macquarie Harbour, in 1821. This was done so
that they could cut down Huon pine from the Gordon River.
For many years piners* cut down trees along the west coast rivers.
Working conditions were very hard. They cut down trees along the river
banks and on the nearby slopes.

The Huon pine is one of the few trees in Tasmania which floats when it has
just been cut down. The piners carried the trees by hand to the river edges.
When the rivers flooded, the waters carried the logs downstream. Men in
boats freed jammed logs and kept them moving on their way. The logs
finally came to a barrier built across the river to stop them. Then the
piners took the logs to the mills.*

* word box
map of Tasmania and relevant area