ATHOL — Whose tracks are these? How do wild animals survive the winter? Nature enthusiasts of all ages will discover the answers to these questions as they learn to spot and study signs of winter wildlife as part of two separate outdoor animal tracking workshops next weekend.
The Winter Wildlife Detectives program at the Northfield Mountain Recreation and Environmental Center will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. on Feb. 8. In Athol, the Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust in Athol will hold it’s “Winter Wildlife Tracking” program from 9 a.m. to noon. The winter adventure will explore the traces left behind by neighboring fauna.
The Mount Grace event will be led by veteran tracker and naturalist Paul Want, a former teacher and naturalist at the Farm School in Athol who has been a tracker for 35 years. He and his wife Heather ran an educational non-profit, In This Place, in Wendell.
Those who attend will learn to spot and interpret wildlife signs as they walk through the trails and woods around Skyfields. The workshop is open to trackers of all ages and levels of skill. He said he began working with children as a way to garner their interest in the wilderness.
“It was a way to connect them to the wild parts of the world and hope they would fall in love with it,” Wanta said.
While he enjoyed teaching children, he said they usually need to keep moving while taking a tracking walk. With adult members, Wanta said he can spend more time talking in detail about tracking methods.
Wanta said he learn about tracking after attending a conference in New York and meeting someone, now a friend, who had just returned from a trip to Australia. While away, this friend learned about wilderness survival and animal tracking from the Australian aboriginal people. Wanta was drawn to the idea of improving his own understanding of wildlife in the local area.
Now, Wanta has taught countless classes of his own, many of which have been conducted with local land trusts. He said he was interested in taking people to land trusts like Mount Grace to show them the environmental and educational value of land trusts.
“We’ll go look for tracks and sign, which is markings other than tracks such as feathers and fur caught on branches or animal droppings,” Wanta said. “The idea is to get them out and learn about what’s running around in their woods. Hopefully they will be interested in spending more time out in the woods.”
According to Wanta, the winter makes it easier to spot animal footprints than it is at other times thanks to the snow. When going out during the rest of the year, trackers must rely more on following sign. Another nice thing about the winter, Wanta said, is that there are no mosquitoes while walking around.
The Mount Grace land trust borders other town conservation land and Wanta said a number of animals travel through the area. In past, the tracking groups have seen otters, mink, beavers, deer, bobcats, coyotes and porcupines.
“Wanta has an encyclopedic knowledge of local wildlife,” said Dave Kotker, of the Mount Grace Land Trust. “He gives everyone a sense of how tracks tell the story of what has happened in the area.”
The winter Wildlife Tracking event will take place at the Mount Grace headquarters, 1461 Old Keene Road, Athol from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. It is open to all ages and free to Mount Grace members, and $10 for the general public, who can pay online or at the event. Space is limited to 25 participants so registration is required. Sign up at mountgrace.org/skyfields-tracking-workshop-28.
In Northfield, Educator Kathy Richards will be leading the free family program, teaching families what animals are active in the neighboring fields and forests. The program is designed for children 6 years old and older with an accompanying adult. Pre-registration is required by calling 800-859-2960.
“It’s a great outdoor family experience that encourages them to get out, explore, and have fun,” said Kim Noyes, Education Coordinator at Northfield Mountain Recreation Center.
The day will feature games, scavengers hunts and an animal tracking discussion let by Richards. Using newfound detective skills taught in the program, attendees will learn how to read the stories of winter wildlife written upon the forest floor.
The Winter Wildlife Detective program, among other events at Northfield Mountain Recreation and Environmental Center, helps to foster children’s excitement for learning. It encourages kids to connect with and learn more about the natural world, Noyes said.
“We usually offer one or more programs in the winter that encourage families to get outside and explore,” she said.
According to Noyes, Richards has been teaching environmental education for more than 20 years between the Massachusetts Audubon Society, Northfield Mountain and other organizations.
While the Winter Wildlife Detective program is free, the weather may requires attendees to rent snowshoes for $10 a pair. For families of three or more, there will be a maximum charge of $30 per family, Noyes said.
If the trails at Northfield Mountain Recreation Center are open for skiing, snowshoes are required. If snow is insufficient for snowshoeing, the program will take place on foot.
Later that same day, Feb. 8, the center will be holding its full moon program for adults and children 12 and older. The event sees naturalists come together to watch the sunset and the moon rise. Snowshoes or shoe micro-spikes may be required, weather depending.
“It’s wonderful to be out in the full moon while it’s reflecting off the snow,” Noyes said.