Where did I go?

For my participation in the Wildlife Signs in Burlington iNaturalist Project, I went with a few of my friends to Centennial Woods. This was primarily because of accessibility, it’s close to campus, but it still has plenty to offer in the terms of wildlife tracking.

What did I Encounter?

The weather was very pleasant today for wildlife tracking, but because of the warmer weather there was a pretty major obstacle; MUD. It was incredibly muddy, which made walking a bit challenging and slippery. This being said, the mud did lend itself useful in finding tracks, in the absence of snow.

I found only a few species in my hour and a half in Centennial, so I’ll break down each one:

This Common Racoon print was found right near the entrance to Centennial, I identified it by the finger like prints, almost like a Human Hand.

This print I identified as a White Tailed Deer. I was able to identify this, due to the hoof shape, and what looks to be a straddle walking pattern.

How Did I Decide what to ID?

I used whichever prints looks the clearest, and anything that I thought was identifiable enough. There also was a lack of prints due to the heavy foot traffic along the trails in Centennial. Other than that, how I came to each individual ID is explained under each track photo.

No photo this time, but I am excited to get back to Rock Point soon, and test out even more of my animal tracking skills there!

Only as high as I reach can I grow, only as far as I seek can I go, only as deep as I look can I see, only as much as I dream can I be.

Karen Raven