Inside Track
Introducing Kids to Animal Tracking
By Alice Cary, GORP Family Expert
Look for tracks in snow
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Kids always love a mystery, and animal tracks are nature's ready-made guessing game. After a recent snowfall my son and I explored the meadow near our home and found deer tracks galore. The tracks zig-zagged from bush to bush, between boulders and a small pond. Watching all of these meanderings in track form was almost as good as seeing the deer in person, and it was fun to speculate what they had been doing.
Tracks can be found in virtually any environment — from snowy country meadows to wet urban pavements. My son and I enjoy checking for tracks in the soil near our house to see how close animals have come to our home. We've learned a lot about the types of animals that live in our neighborhood and what they do when we're not around. Wildlife big and small, from chipmunks to foxes and deer, have crept within yards of the house while we were unaware.
Have your kids get down on their knees...and look closely for broken twigs, bent grass, feathers, fur, and scat.
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Tracking can be a wonderful activity to amuse kids while hiking — it's an easy introduction to both wildlife appreciation and scientific exploration. It's an educational activity that makes learning pain-free.
Start Close to Home
Tracks are not only a great nature lesson, but also a great excuse for play. So how do you find tracks? Of course, we all see them from time to time, but if you take the time to stop and examine a wilderness area closely — and invest in a solid guidebook (see Integrating Tracking into Your Outings for suggestions) — you'll be surprised at how animals (and people) leave behind signs of their presence everywhere.
Start in your own neighborhood, looking for tracks of any kind — dogs, cats, squirrels, rabbits, birds — whatever happens to be around. Look in areas where tracks are most easily spotted, like:
Snow
Dirt & mud
The edges of puddles, ponds, and lakes.
Sand: beaches, of course, and don't forget to check the sandbox.
Have your kids get down on their knees and explore the area around your house, looking closely for animal signs: tracks, broken twigs, bent grass where animals have trod, feathers, fur, scat. Watch insects maneuver and notice if they leave tiny tracks.
Want a practice round? You can also construct your own tracking areas. Just fill a box or large container with sand or mud. Bait the area with food like lettuce or carrots and set it outside for a day or two. See if animals explore it and leave tracks behind.
Once you've got the the kids out there, encourage them to start keeping a journal, recording dates and types of tracks, and include any photos you may have taken along the way.
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RELATED GORP LINKS
Learn to Identify Animal Tracks
Guide to Tracking
Tracking 101
GORP Wildlife
from Away.com
