Sign Tracking - Revision history

Ryan at 19:23, 28 April 2020

2020-04-28T19:23:36Z

Ryan at 17:30, 24 April 2020

2020-04-24T17:30:02Z

Ryan at 21:36, 17 April 2020

2020-04-17T21:36:40Z

Ryan at 20:40, 17 April 2020

2020-04-17T20:40:26Z

Ryan at 20:35, 17 April 2020

2020-04-17T20:35:24Z

Ryan at 20:33, 17 April 2020

2020-04-17T20:33:02Z

Ryan at 19:36, 17 April 2020

2020-04-17T19:36:52Z

Ryan at 19:54, 16 April 2020

2020-04-16T19:54:33Z

Ryan at 19:37, 16 April 2020

2020-04-16T19:37:11Z

Ryan at 19:36, 16 April 2020

2020-04-16T19:36:18Z

@@ Line 64: / Line 64: @@
 <br>
 === Hazards and Staging ===
+'''Staging'''
-Animals sign can be found just about everywhere, even in the city. Next time you are outside, take a look around and see if you can find any!
+<br><br>
+Animals sign can be found just about everywhere, even in the city. When working with your groups, use different stages to talk about what times of animals you can expect to find sign for.
-=== Working With Students ===
+<br><br>
+When you do discover animal sign that is interesting, it is important to consider how you will display it for your group. Animal sign can be fragile, and children will want to touch and interact with it. Set clear expectations up front, such as "look at this only with your eyes, do not touch it." Other students may have a hard time getting a view when the group is crowded around the object or area of interest. It can be helpful to have groups break up and see it in turns, or form a horse shoe shape around the viewpoint.
 === Learning Outcomes and Objectives ===
+* Ecology
 === Activities ===

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 === Introduction ===
-SIGN TRACKING is every indication of animals passing through an area other than their tracks. It can be more effective than regular tracking since animals often move across areas of the landscape where the substrate doesn’t allow you to clearly see their tracks.
+'''Sign Tracking''' is every indication of animals passing through an area other than their tracks. It can be more effective than regular tracking since animals often move across areas of the landscape where the substrate doesn’t allow you to clearly see their tracks.
 We begin by understanding that nature is a series of “islands.” Animals tend to congregate around, and move between these islands and what are known as transition zones. While there may be some animals in the open forest, or in a meadow, These places typically do not have what animals need in order to feel safe and have adequate food.
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← Older revision		Revision as of 21:36, 17 April 2020
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	Animals sign can be found just about everywhere, even in the city. Next time you are outside, take a look around and see if you can find any!		Animals sign can be found just about everywhere, even in the city. Next time you are outside, take a look around and see if you can find any!
		+
		+	=== Working With Students ===
		+
		+	=== Learning Outcomes and Objectives ===
		+
		+	=== Activities ===

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-===== Introduction =====
+=== Introduction ===
 SIGN TRACKING is every indication of animals passing through an area other than their tracks. It can be more effective than regular tracking since animals often move across areas of the landscape where the substrate doesn’t allow you to clearly see their tracks.
 We begin by understanding that nature is a series of “islands.” Animals tend to congregate around, and move between these islands and what are known as transition zones. While there may be some animals in the open forest, or in a meadow, These places typically do not have what animals need in order to feel safe and have adequate food.
@@ Line 63: / Line 63: @@
 <br>
 <br>
-===== Hazards and Staging =====
+=== Hazards and Staging ===
 Animals sign can be found just about everywhere, even in the city. Next time you are outside, take a look around and see if you can find any!

@@ Line 63: / Line 63: @@
 <br>
 <br>
 Animals sign can be found just about everywhere, even in the city. Next time you are outside, take a look around and see if you can find any!

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
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-'''What is a transition zone?'''
+'''What is a Transition Zone?'''
 <br>
 Transition zones are the areas between a forest and a field, or an area in a forest that doesn’t have as much tree cover, allowing for a wider variety of plant species to grow. Transition zones are places that have more biodiversity than the surrounding areas. They provide more food sources that are accessible to everything from rabbits to deer. These areas also provide good cover so that the animals in and around them can feel safe. To simplify think; good diversity, good cover, good shelter/bedding areas.
 <br>
 <br>
-'''How do we find Transition zones?'''
+'''How do we find Transition Zones?'''
 <br>
 The easiest way is to start with “Landscape tracking.” Imagine yourself as an eagle flying high above you and looking down. Search for areas with dense growth, a water source, a field or meadow. These are good places to start. A wonderful tool we have access to these days is satellite imagery. Use google earth on your computer, or Satellite view on whatever map software your cell phone has. These can be helpful in finding transition zones.
 <br>
 <br>
-'''Hierarchy of animal trails'''
+'''Hierarchy of Animal Trails'''
 <br>
 Just like humans, animals have networks of “Roadways” They use to move from place to place. And just like humans, there are different types of roadways. Think about humans for a minute. We have the interstate system, which are large, busy highways that cover great distances, Once you get off of the interstate you will find smaller highways that are still busy, but have less traffic than an intestate. Finally, we have small residential streets. These tend to be quiet and have little traffic.
@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
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-'''Sleeps/bedding areas'''
+'''Sleeps/Bedding Areas'''
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 These will be VERY species-specific. Its a place where an animal feels most safe. It will most likely have multiple escape routes.
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 <br>
-'''Chews on vegetation and trees'''
+'''Chews on Vegetation and Trees'''
 <br>
 Most animals eat plant matter, and different animals chew things in different ways. Let’s talk about a blade of grass. If you find a blade of grass that has a sharp, angular cut that looks like someone snipped it with scissors, that was most likely done by a rodent. Rodent’s teeth are sharp, and they are designed to cleanly cut plant matter. If you find a blade of grass that looks as if it has been torn in two, It’s most likely a member of the deer species. Members of the deer family do not have top teeth, so they grasp what they are eating and tear it. If you find grass that looks like its been chewed on heavily and maybe even has some holes in it, that is most likely caused by a predator/omnivore. These animals have sharper teeth and they will gnaw on vegetation when they fell the need to eat some. If you find larger trees and saplings that have been chewed and have fallen over, especially near water, there are most likely beavers around. Beavers like to eat the inner bark of trees, and will also use trees and saplings to construct their dams.
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-'''Hair/fur'''
+'''Hair/Fur'''
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 If we look closely at the ground around trails and runs, we may be able to find hair or fur. Hair and fur are chemically the same thing but have different qualities. Fur is softer, and a uniform length while hair is more course, and can grow fairly long depending on the species and time of the year. Furbearers are animals such as rabbits, raccoons, mice, and beavers. Members of the deer family have hair.  You can also find hair and fur stuck in vegetation that grows along trails, or places where animals go over/under fences. In Colorado, I found a well-used animal trail that had a barbwire fence running across is. I found hairs and fur from deer, elk, coyote, bobcat, Mountain lion, and raccoon on the same section of the fence.
@@ Line 49: / Line 49: @@
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-'''Feathers, bones, and antlers'''
+'''Feathers, Bones, and Antlers'''
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 Feathers can help us to identify what types of birds are in the area. You may find a single feather from time to time. Birds shed feathers the same way we shed hair. If you find a few feathers in one spot it may mean a predator tried to grab a bird but it got away. If you find a whole pile of them chances are the predator got its meal.
@@ Line 58: / Line 58: @@
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-'''Scrapes/scratches on trees'''
+'''Scrapes/Scratches on Trees'''
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 When wandering through the woods you may find trees that have scratches or scrapes on them. If they are vertical scratches it could be a member of the cat family using it to sharpen its claws. How high up the tree they are could tell you this size of the cat. Bears will also use trees to tend to their claws. If you find scratches on trees that are more of a crosshatch pattern, chances are it’s a deer or elk rubbing its antlers on the tree. They will do it when their antlers stop growing in order to rub the velvet off of them. During the breeding season, they will rake their antlers on trees in order to mark their territory.

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 Runs will be less used and less worn than trails. Think of them as exits off of Trails. Runs are used to link trails to food sources, water, or bedding areas. Runs also tend to be more species-specific. A rabbit run will be smaller than a coyote run. Runs are subject to abandonment for a period of time if the food source it leads to is depleted.
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 '''Sleeps/bedding areas'''
@@ Line 32: / Line 33: @@
 These will be VERY species-specific. Its a place where an animal feels most safe. It will most likely have multiple escape routes.
 <br>
 <br>
 '''Chews on vegetation and trees'''
@@ Line 56: / Line 56: @@
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 Antlers are shed by members of the deer family every year in late winter, and start growing again in the spring. If you find an antler it may also have chew marks on it depending on how long it has been on the ground.
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 '''Scrapes/scratches on trees'''