12 Feb 2010 Tricky Tracks Props

Today was Sam’s second Tiny Trackers class at the Tyler Arboretum. The title was “Tricky Tracks”–how to find evidence of animals in winter. Things we looked for included: tracks, habitats, body parts, and scat. Before the kids trudged out into the snow, the teacher showed them some of the things on this table. The most interesting to me were the deer antlers. Sam really liked the turtle shell (way in the back), and ALL of the kids were fascinated by the fake deer scat (in the red dish).

Something I learned today: the scat of a doe is easily distinguishable from that of a buck. Does leave behind neat little piles, while bucks tend to spread theirs around. Sam nodded her head when the teacher explained this, as if she suspected it all along.