On Saturday January 30th, Willow Bend co-hosted with the Arboretum at Flagstaff its second annual Basic Wildlife Tracking Workshop. The workshop kicked off our 2016 Adult Education Series and was led by Lynn Nemeth, Executive Director with The Arboretum at Flagstaff.
By 10am our Discovery Room was packed as we began the day inside for a lecture about local wildlife and how to identify them on trails, in parks, and in our own backyards. Lynn and Shannon (the Arboretum’s new volunteer coordinator) shed light on what kind of tracks to be on the lookout for and how to differentiate between the various types of creatures we might encounter.
The most important fundamental of wildlife tracking emphasized during the lecture was to look down! You never know what you might be passing by if you don’t keep your eyes peeled for critters and on alert for evidence of their little lives. Some examples of animal signs to look for were nests, middens, scratching posts, and, of course, tracks and scat.
After we had some insight on what we were looking for, we hit the trails down into the canyon outside Willow Bend and put what we learned to practical use. We spotted fox scat, dog tracks, and even the occasionally puppy or two out on a morning walk. Lynn led the courageous expedition through the melting snow and helped us find exactly what we were looking for- adventure among the wildlife and the trees!
When we arrived back at the center, we got to see dried and preserved scat specimens from porcupines and prairie dogs, among others, that Lynn had brought. Willow Bend also had animal track samples and tracking game cards out and everyone enjoyed hanging out after the event and testing their knowledge.
This event was a joy to host and to attend, combining education and adventure in the best possible way (This post was written with help from Sarah Carbajal, Willow Bend Intern, who attended the workshop and learned a lot about Wildlife Tracking!)
