kids and nature Photo © NPS / nps.gov
Hop, Scurry, or Stride? By Greg M. Peters
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earning to recognize animal tracks is one of the best ways to get kids interested in nature. Winter provides some of the best opportunities for
learning about animal tracks and identification.
The best scenario for winter tracking is hard packed snow covered by an inch or two of fresh powder. This combination allows you to see the tracks of smaller animals like mice, squirrels and skunks and the tracks of larger animals like coyotes, deer and elk. Snowshoe hares, raccoons, skunks, squirrels, foxes, mice and deer are some of the best animals to track because they are usually active during the winter. When identifying tracks with smaller children, simply finding an animal track can be a fun challenge. It’s often helpful to pose a few questions to the youngster before you even head out. What animals live in the forest you’re visiting? Which ones are awake during the winter? How do they move? Do they hop like rabbits, scurry like mice, or stride like deer? When you find tracks, first make sure the route they take is safe for children and then follow them for a bit. See where they go and use that information to help with basic identification. Did the animal stop for food? Do the tracks stop at a tree or bush? For older children, keying out the specific track is a fun challenge. Again, ask some basic questions. Does the track show claw marks? Canine, skunk and raccoon tracks will typically have claw marks, while feline tracks don’t. How far apart are the tracks? Elk and moose take much longer strides than deer. Is there scat or urine along the trail? Those clues can help identify animals as well. Foxes often urinate every 20 feet or so, leaving bright yellow dots in the snow. With kids of any age, figuring out where the tracks go is a great way to learn about animal behavior. Encourage your kids to speculate where the animal is going and why. Is it searching for food or water, finding a home for the night, evading a predator? You don’t have to know all the answers, just asking the questions and discussing with your kids will get them thinking about the natural world. Perhaps the best thing about winter animal tracking is that with each new snowfall, there’s a new opportunity to see what critters are out and about in your local forest. Regardless of whether you accurately identify the species that made certain tracks or simply follow a set through the woods, seeking out animal tracks is a fantastic way to get kids interested in nature during the long, cold months of winter. For more winter tracking tips and resources, visit nationalforests.org/blog/wintertracking. A SNOWSHOE HARE LEAVES TRACKS IN THE SNOW.
Winter – Spring 2015
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