Hi there!
My name is Ms. Emma, and I am a MOSS/PCEI AmeriCorps member. I wanted to share a little bit about tracking with you today, and challenge you to go outside and explore the tracks around you!
View this video for more of an explanation!
Have you ever seen animal tracks during the winter in the snow? Turns out “mud season” is another great time to look for tracks!
For this video lesson, I focus specifically on two kinds of tracks that a lot of people, me included, have trouble telling apart: cat and dog tracks. I ask you to make your own observations on the similarities and differences before talking about some key ways to help distinguish which kind of track you are looking at. I include my drawing of these differences below. This may be challenging, but you don't have to master it. The idea is just to look more closely at the tracks you find.
My challenge for you is to look for tracks in your own backyard or neighborhood! Some good places to look for tracks this time of year are on the remaining snow patches, in muddy places, and on sand or loose dirt. If you have a cat or dog at home, you could even gently checking out their paw to see what the track would look like (some animals are fine with this, but some aren’t, so go ask adult for help, first!).
If you want an extra challenge, you can try to figure out what animal made the tracks! This video is an introduction to the types of some tracks, but you might need some other field guides or resources, like printable internet tracking guides.
Have fun exploring, and I hope you are doing well!
~Ms. Emma (MOSS, Americorps)
