June Tracking Club: Hunting for Tracks & Sign

This month, I invite you to head out on a scavenger hunt for tracks & sign. This game is designed to help us take time with tracks and sign we might not normally or pay much attention to. Most items on the list represent broad categories and I invite you to interpret them in any way that will help you enjoy your time in the field and stretch yourself as a tracker.

The game is to find an example of each item and to identify it as specifically as possible. Some items are common and easy to locate, others much less so. A few are exceptionally rare or challenging to find. For purposes of the game, use each sign or set of tracks only once. If you find the half-understep walking trail of a snapping turtle, for example, count it either as an example of a Walk or as an example of a Testudines, but not both.

As with our previous "Socially Distanced" Tracking Clubs, this is a chance to explore some of your favorite places and share what you find with our group. The scavenger hunt also overlaps with the Carlos Avery Wildlife Survey, so bring your checklist for that as well. Here are the details:

• Between now and June 21, get out to a secluded natural area and look for examples of the tracks and sign on this Scavenger Hunt list.

• Share you observations to the Minnesota Wildlife Tracking Project's iNaturalist Project, idedally by the end of the day Saturday, June 20. The earlier you post your observations, the more time there will be for others to review and discuss them.

• Gather around the digital campfire on Sunday afternoon for Stories of the Day.

  • • Zoom video conference, "Story of the Day: Hunting for Tracks & Sign"

• • Sunday, June 21, 4:00pm

  • Register in advance with this link

    • After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Questions? Contact Us, or email Jonathan Poppele <poppele@umn.edu>