Tracking
Tracking animals is a great
activity and an important skill for naturalists. However, tracking in the wild is always a
hit-and-miss activity and is extremely difficult for groups larger than a few
children. At Kirchenwald, we have a
series of activities that help campers to experience tracking more easily. When beginning these activities, emphasize
that one part of a naturalist's job is to read the book of nature and tell
nature's story. Tracking is a really
good way to do this because through tracks we have a direct record of events
that might have been disturbed if a human were present.
Begin by taking your group
over to the pool deck or a soft, muddy area.
Have the campers dip their feet in the pool two at a time and do some action on the pool deck such as a dance
while the rest of the group closes their eyes.
After the campers finish, have the rest of the group try to interpret
the tracks and the various steps each person took. Help them to notice that a running person
leaves tracks much further apart than a walking person.
Move from this activity
directly to animal tracking by having the campers create and try to figure out
each others' animal stories in a sand box.
The Nasco™ series of rubberized animal feet are really great for this
purpose, although simpler plaster casts will also work but much less
effectively. Use these feet in a sandpit
where campers can create models of how animals might move and interact. Younger age groups often enjoy these two
activities a great deal, so don't rush the campers through them. This sandbox time is a good stage to talk
about plaster casts and perhaps demonstrate the technique for the campers. You might also briefly describe the process
of fossilization which preserved some ancient footprints up to the
present.
The next stage in the
progression involves some substantial preparation on your part, but the results
are very good and the educational value is immense. Find an old canvas tarpaulin measuring maybe
15 by 20 feet. It is acceptable to have
holes in the tarp, because buying a new one is prohibitively expensive for most
pocketbooks. On the tarp, lay out a
number of animal stories for the campers to interpret. Paint the appropriate tracks onto the tarp
being very careful to place them in such a way as to illustrate whether the animals are walking or running. For instance, you can have a fox trying to
kill a pheasant, a deer running from a hunter, a hunter getting sprayed by a
skunk, and so on. Be creative. Add props to the tarp as needed, such as a
trash can for a young bear to investigate or a tree for a squirrel to run up
(just mount a large branch on a plywood base).
Spread the campers out around
the outside edge of the tarp and ask them not to stand on the tarp itself,
because these tarps take a good deal of wear and tear without cameprs tramping
on it. Distribute tracking guides made
from photocopying pages out of the Nasco™ guide or by creating your own
fieldguide. Help the campers to first
identify the tracks and then help them to put the tracks together to tell a
story. Ask leading questions, such as,
"Did the pheasant get eaten by the fox?" to help the campers reflect
on the evidence. Have the campers tell
each other the story of their own part of the tarp, helping the campers to
develop their own skills as nature detectives.
For older groups that are
still interested in tracking, or perhaps as an activity on its own, take the
campers on their own tracking hike.
Dismiss half of the group with a counselor to go off in the woods and
leave a trail so that the trailing half of the group can find them. Provide some type of marking device for the
leading group (ie flour) so that they have a clear way of marking a trail. Encourage other creative markers as well,
such as arrows out of branches and piles of rocks. After giving the hiding team a substantial
lead (at least well out of ear shot) start off after them and demonstrate
tracking technique. Never leave one sign
of the group or an animal until the next sign has been found, lest one fall off
the trail very early. Move quickly in
pursuit, but carefully point out any cues that you notice that the campers
might not. After the seekers find the
hiders, switch roles and play again.