Wildlife Tracking Weekend - Day 2 June 2014

Sauble Beach, June 15 - Day 2

On the second morning we packed up camp and headed back to the Sauble Beach area.  The morning was sunny and already much warmer than the day before. We started our day on a couple of sand trails bisecting a secondary highway, quickly spotting a canine track coming out of the trees by our parked cars. The tight toes, good musculature and direct trail made for a likely coyote. We followed the tracks across the road and discovered a change of gait. Heading through a more open area of sand, the animal switched to a side trot, characteristic of coyotes and foxes moving through an area without cover. 

Beside the coyote tracks we spotted some fresh-looking snowshoe hare tracks heading in the opposite direction, with the characteristic J-shape in the back track.  More hare tracks showed a sudden change of direction, with shifted sand creating a “plate” behind the track.  We again discussed pressure releases and how to read direction of travel and speed of movement through the shifts in substrate around a set of tracks. In the same area we found clear turkey tracks, chipmunk tracks, and a five-toed animal, smaller than a raccoon, travelling in a lope.  Alexis pointed out some details of the tracks that established them as classic skunk tracks:  slightly circular front tracks, boxy back tracks and a slight break in the back heel pad. 

The area on either side of our trail was covered in poison ivy in all directions, effectively keeping us on the trail, and giving us a chance to examine the hazardous plant and get a good visual grasp of what distinguished it from the more benign plants which it occasionally seemed to mimic (Manitoba maple or sarsaparilla, for example). We headed back across the road, briefly took a break out of the blazing sun, ate a quick lunch by our cars, pulled on bug jackets, and plunged onto the sand trail behind us.

Not far into the woods, an exciting discovery: clear bear tracks directly on the trail, a rear registering on top of a front. The sand tail was again bordered on either side by poison ivy, as well as maples, ferns, wild grape, and other plants.  Further along the trail, the bear seemed to have crossed again, with a couple more tracks registering.  Off to the right of the trail, we spotted a beautiful painted turtle, which we briefly examined.  Was it a female on her way to lay eggs?

We made our way into a more open area, and some of our group explored further while others dropped down onto some shaded grass to rest and rehydrate. Sitting by the field we noticed more plants to add to our list and watched and listened to eastern towhees and other birds around us. The exploring group came back with a couple of mystery clumps of fur. The first: found near a coyote scat with pieces of the same fur in the scat; smooth, shiny and dark brown with soft underfur and long, smooth guard hairs. Beaver!  The second: short, alternating black and brown in very short sections.  Hmm.  Some of us guessed raccoon, but no: snowshoe hair.

It was mid-afternoon and we decided on a final quick drive to the area by the lake that we had explored the previous day. Checking on the tracks from the previous day gave us an opportunity to talk about aging. We then headed out in a different direction from the day before, walking across a stream and into a grove of trees.  The group drifted apart to explore the area, until sudden harsh bird calls drew our attention:  a large bird of prey, with short head and impressive wingspan, being mobbed by smaller black birds, all heading away from us across a field into another grove of trees.  Was it a barred owl? A great horned owl?  Mobbed by grackles?  Across the field, the owl tried to take shelter.  We heard crows joining in with the smaller birds, the owl gradually being pushed further and further away from us, the cacophony of crows remaining constant for a long time.  We tried to follow, a couple of us even taking off our shoes to attempt to cross the water that was in our way, but the jagged stone bottom, along with the late hour, made us turn back. 

We called a closing circle for a last chance to reflect on the weekend’s adventures, and gave some final words of gratitude to the animals, plants and people, to the beautiful land and to the majestic lake, before heading back to our cars to find our roads back home.

Written by Malgosia Halliop

Wildlife Tracking Weekend - June 2014

Wildlife Tracking Weekend - Sauble Beach, June 14 2014

Our second tracking weekend took us to the Sauble Beach area, overlooking Lake Huron. We met at Alexis’ place and drove further north to the spot where we’d spend most of the weekend. It was late morning when we reached our destination and came together as a group. We circled up then entered a sandy trail in a hidden spot by the Sauble River.  Immediately ahead of us were sand and mud, green fields dotted with flowers, flat stretches of rock, clusters of trees, and the lake reaching all the way to the horizon.  

We began by studying deer tracks in the sand. The tracks were small, likely from a yearling, and fairly fresh. Alexis pointed out some details in the gait that could be used to determine the sex of a deer. We looked also at the pressure releases on the tracks, telltale ways in which the sand clumped and shifted around the track under the pressure of movement, speed and direction of travel. From these we could begin to form a story of how the deer had moved, when it had changed direction, and sometimes even where it had hesitated or turned its head.  In the mud close by, we found an interested puzzle: bird tracks with several squiggly rows of dots to one side. Some examination of the tracks and our field guides suggested a likely killdeer, gleaning flies and ground beetles with its beak.  A few details distinguished the tracks from the similar tracks of sandpipers, but we also had extra evidence in the form of killdeer flying and on the ground close by. 

Nearby, on a muddy path among the tracks of ducks, geese, and songbirds, we came across tracks of an animal in an uncharacteristic gait: raccoon in a gallop with very pronounced claw marks registering.  Among some confusing details, the long hind tracks and kidney-shaped front heel pads gave away the species.

As we walked on, we were struck by the wealth of plant diversity around us.  As Alexis focused on animal track and sign, Dan, the botanist in our group, shared his knowledge of the plant species around us, some of which he pointed out were provincially rare. Among them were round-leafed sundew (Drosera rotundifolia), Indian paintbrush (Castilleja spp.), shrubby cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa), Ohio goldenrod (Oligoneuron ohioense), blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium montanum), common juniper (Juniperus communis), grass of Parnassus (Parnassia glauca), fringed bluet (Hustonia canadensis), silverweed (Argentina anserina), bastard toadflax (Comandra umbellata), starry Solomon’s seal (Maianthemum stellatum), ninebark (Physocarpus spp.), balsam ragwort (Senecio pauperculus), mossy stonecrop (Sedum acre), northeastern sedge (Carex cryptolepis), field sagewort (Artemesia Campestris,), hoary puccoon (Lithospermum canescens) and three species of St. John’s wort (Hypericum spp.).

The day had started cool and cloudy, but by early afternoon the sun shone bright and clear.  We made our way towards the lake, meeting a garter snake and finding a beautiful soft feather – could it be a breast feather from an owl?  Lunch was eaten on flat rocks overlooking the water, the sun warming us up against the cool temperature and breeze from the lake. 

After lunch, the discovery of bird bones led us into a grove of trees. A skull with hooked beak nearby was judged likely to be a cormorant. This led to some questions about cormorants – how does the hooked beak help them in their hunting strategy?  What IS their hunting strategy?  Heading in and out of the trees someone spotted a song sparrow launching away from the ground in alarm. Right at the spot, we found a tiny nest, encircled and almost covered by tall grass, and containing four tiny marbled eggs.  We stood off to the side and at a distance, hoping for the sparrow to return to its nest, watching and listening to song sparrows and redstarts around us.  Suddenly, someone with sharp eyes made out a well-camouflaged smooth green snake in the grass. We picked up the snake and clustered around in excitement, marveling at its smoothness and vibrant colour.  We thanked the snake and let it go.

 

We were drawn under the umbrella of a large elm surrounded by cedars. There we found a possible pellet containing feathers, scaly bits of footpads and a claw. A very furry scat lay nearby. Heading out of the trees again, another nest, this time in a tree, with only one egg.  Some discussion and a lingering question – could this be a redstart nest? As we came out of the trees: a snakeskin lodged between stones, grey and translucent with holes where the snake’s eyes would have been. We crossed another field and headed again into trees. This time, we followed a sand trail, a great surface to notice tracks of snakes and caterpillars. We tested some scattered small indentations in the sand with a string, triggering attack by an ambush insect.  Along the trail lay a ropey coyote scat. 

As we heading back towards our starting point, frogs became a brief theme.  Tamara pointed out the differences between green frogs and bullfrogs and how to tell male and female frogs apart. A couple of leopard frogs were briefly caught and released, with an unsuccessful attempt to release one onto mud to create a frog trail.  Alas, the mud was too firm and we also discovered that frogs won’t hop in a straight line on cue!

We closed our field time for the day and headed back to Alexis’s place, but not before spotting a beautiful European Hare browsing by the side of a small side road on our way back to the highway. Then a drive back and time to set up camp, share a potluck dinner, do some field guide research, discuss some lingering mysteries, and have a good night’s sleep!

written by Malgosia Halliop

Day 2 Story of the day to be continued......

Edible and Medicinal Plant Foraging Workshop

Edible and Medicinal Plant Foraging Workshop

Sunday May 25, 2014

Our day began in the sunny morning along a trail deep in the Hockley Valley. As our small group arrived we began to introduce ourselves. It seemed everyone came together to share the sunny day, and to learn. New faces began to connect in nature, and everyone was eager to begin the hike into the valley. As we ventured forth, Alexis outlined a very important topic – ethical stewardship and sustainable harvesting techniques. Not only was it important to correctly harvest the plant, but also to offer the land something in return.

We observed our first plant – the American Basswood. The tender early spring leaves are edible only for a short time. We ventured forward, discussing edibles even within a few feet of the trail entrance. We didn’t need to walk far – there are so many edibles all around us! Garlic mustard was first, a highly invasive species but a delicacy as a pesto. My personal favourite of the day – the Spruce tree – appeared next along the trail. The young new growth is chock full of vitamin C and a flavourful punch followed every nibble.

The plants we began to encounter are considered superfoods due to the high content of rich vitamins and minerals and trace elements. The flavours of these plants hit interesting parts of the tongue. We discussed incorporating bitter and sour flavours into our typically salty and sweet diets. The richness of flavours is one to be explored.  It is important to remember to eat a small amount of the foraged edibles before over-consuming. Our bodies are not quite used to the intensity and we may not be aware of possible reactions.

Our next venture took us into a clearing of a nettle patch mixed with wild raspberry. The common nettle and wood nettle were exciting to find, and we were careful to avoid the stinging hairs. We followed the stream off the path and made our way through meadow following a deer trail. We stopped at the foot of a deer bed to examine our first mystery of the day – identifying a poisonous Cypress Spurge plant. Our next edible that we came across was horse tail. The group became more aware of how to utilize weeds as edibles and how the value of plants can change depending on the value we put into it.

The group stopped for lunch under the lovely cedars beside the stream embankment. With the gentle rush of flowing water we were able to rest. It was on to the next flower, the Viola family – the namesake of Alexis’ new baby girl. Our adventure began to pick up pace – we encountered a second Earth Tracks mystery through identifying the Bloodroot plant. The small side trail began to grow tighter and the group found an interesting hoard of walnuts at the base of a cedar. What mystery was this now? We determined that a chipmunk had nibbled through each nut through the side, rather than the top and bottom. This is a sharp tracking skill to determine the animal’s specific behaviour.

A short while after, we came upon the source of the stream (a lovely spring fed pool to dip our feet into). We foraged for wild mint and took a cool-down break in the sandy water. The group splashed about as nearby ravens cawed out protests to lure us away from their nesting site. A warbler sang in the distance as we moved on to our next edible, Wild Leek. Perhaps the most popular of the trip, the Wild Leek forage was a very important plant to sustainably harvest, and transplant to encourage spreading. We spread out one bunch of leeks before and one after harvesting from the centre of a patch.

At a small cedar clearing, we stopped for break. Lucky for us, we were sitting in a patch of our next snack. The Trout Lily was all around us, just on the tail end of its season. The spotted leaves fade away in late spring, early summer but still makes for a tasty treat similar to lettuce greens. As we made our way back to the trail entrance, we collected delicious wild ginger which we had found earlier, but avoided harvesting in a sensitive area. Our last collaboration of the day involved a meditation, or “sit spot” time. Each participant was able to really take in the day, reflect, and rest with purpose. After some final discussion on drying and processing techniques for our bounty, the last stragglers on the trail were able to lure in an Indigo Bunting with a call thus ending our lovely sunny day with some spectacular bird-watching.

Jill Byers Earth Tracks Intern 2014

May 25^th Orangeville course

Herbs:

Dandelion

Garlic mustard

Burdock

Plantain

Nettle

Wood nettle

Goldenrod (sp?)

Viola spp. “violets”

Wild ginger

Bedstraw

Jewelweed

Wild leeks

Blue cohosh

Trout lily

Sarsparilla

Trees:

Basswood

Spruce

White pine

Red pine

Walnut (sp?)

Eastern hemlock

Trembling aspen

Shrubs:

Raspberry

Gooseberry

Currant (sp?)

Other:

Horsetail

Chaga

Poisonous:

Cypress spurge

Bloodroot

Poison ivy

Jack in the pulpit

Squirrel corn

Discussed:

Waterleaf

Balsam fir

White elm

Wild marjoram or basil

Oak (Acorns)

Cattail

List Compiled by Alex Thomson - Earth Tracks Intern 2014

Wildlife Tracking Program 2014

Hello Everyone

Well.....It has been a while since we have posted to this Blog!   Time to 'blow of the dust' and get some action on here again.    Sharing some of the many things that are happening here at Earth Tracks.   We are entering our 8th year and are super stoked about the many new and exciting things coming up for us this year.    To start with, we have just begun the Wildlife Tracking Apprenticeship program and have 9 new folks who will be joining us on our journey into the Art and Science of Tracking.   We had a great first weekend and below is a 'Story of the Day' created for each day last weekend by our 2nd year students.  A special thanks goes out to Christina, Lee and Malgosia for putting this together.

Enjoy the Spring everyone.  Many local birds are setting up territories and beginning the nesting season.  Be sure to tune in and perhaps locate a few nests to keep an eye on as we move into this beautiful time of year.

Happy Tracking/Birding

Alexis

Mono Cliffs Provincial Park (May 10, 2014)

SIGNS IN THE FIELD

In the field, we encountered signs of Meadow Voles (runs, scat, chews, castings, and debarking). We spent some time looking closely at each sign, exploring how they were made and how they look different from similar sign. For example, could these grasses have been eaten by mice? How do we know it was voles who ate this bark? We saw three kinds of tunnels made by voles: one half in the soil, one in the soil, and one made over the winter that had melted on top of the grass.

SIGNS IN THE TREES

Our group headed into the trees on the far side of the field, passing by antler rubs and skunk digs. Before long, we spotted a set of marks on a sugar maple and asked, who made these? Was it a squirrel, a raccoon or a porcupine? How could we tell them apart? Why would they be up in this species of tree? There were sets of claw marks on two more trees. We were able compare thicknesses of claws and frequency of use.

Further uphill, we saw the work of a Pileated Woodpecker, a Downy Woodpecker and a porcupine. We saw a young Red-Backed Salamander and a Wood Frog. There were several turkey scrapes in the leaf debris, and when we looked closer, we could see that their beaks had left triangular-shaped nips in the wild leeks. Nearby, deer had also grazed on some leeks, and it was interesting to compare how wide the deer’s grazing was to the turkey’s.

An old fox den on the side of a hill brought more mysteries. Who was using it for a latrine? Was it one species or more than one? Was the den active? In the end, we figured this spot was a hub for several species travelling down to and up from the valley. It would be the perfect place to let your neighbours know that you’re in the area, and find out who else is present.

SIGNS ON THE CLIFF AND IN THE VALLEY

Alexis wanted to show us some cliffs that he often visits when he’s in the area. The group climbed up, then down (there was still snow and ice!) and got to see some rare and special ferns. We passed under a Turkey Vulture’s nest and saw lots of fur and fibre on the ground (to line the nest? Or was it dinner?). We stopped by a pool of rainwater that had collected on the valley floor, and it was teeming with either mosquito larvae or Fairy Shrimp.

One concept we talked about was Owl Eyes – relaxing our eyes and seeing to the edge of our field of vision. We didn’t spend a lot of time on it, but we were encouraged to use it at appropriate times to try to catch those little flickers of movements out of the corners of our eyes.

MYSTERIES:

·         Is Beech Bark Fungus getting better or worse?

·         Do birds (turkeys) ever pee straight liquid?

·         Black lichen on Maple

By Christina Yu

We spent the second day of our first weekend at Lockyer Pits in Orangeville, a large sand pit area surrounded by cedar and hemlock woods and grassy fields.  It was a sunny, clear, warm day following a few days of rain, ideal conditions for finding clear prints. 

We didn’t need to go very far to find a wealth of tracks. Across a field from the road where we parked our cars was a sandy trail leading slightly uphill to the north, criss-crossed with bird and mammal tracks.  We spend a few minutes marking tracks with popsicle sticks and then set to work examining, measuring, discussing, listening, consulting field guides and writing notes.  We examined a set of clear turkey tracks, then had a long discussion over a set of canine tracks: were they coyote or fox or domestic dog?  Our measurements and some of the defining features of the tracks established that we were mostly likely looking at a red fox moving in a side trot.  Two very different sets of bird tracks highlighted some characteristics of robins and of the corvid family (crows, ravens, jays).  And a set of mammal tracks in a bounding pattern taught us about the distinctive J shape in the hind tracks of lagomorphs (ie. rabbits and hares).

So much intense focus!  Someone pointed out it was almost noon, we all stretched, drank water, re-applied sunscreen, talked about the birds whose songs we were hearing, nibbled on snacks, and pulled ourselves away from the tracks on the path.  We headed uphill, aiming for the shady cedars and a place to eat lunch.  On the way, we came across the remains of a blue jay, with a bird pellet beside it.  Was the pellet owl or hawk?  Why was it out in the open and not near a tree?  Was its story connected in some way to that of the jay?

After lunch in the cool shade of the cedars, we walked out into the sand pit.  The heavy rain earlier in the week had left one large pool of water, and another recently dried depression that drew us to all the tracks at its bottom. We explored the pit in all direction. Some of our group went up the dune to see the view from the top. Bank swallows swooped all around. Occasionally a dirt bike roared past. We spend some time debating a series of what looked like distinctly patterned scratches in the bottom of the dried pool. Eventually, we came to the conclusion that they were the tracks of a frog or toad, possible even tracks of an amphibian swimming in a shallow pool with feet hitting the bottom. 

Other highlights: a long string of toad eggs covered with silt in one of the pools, a large Green Frog swimming nearby, clear toad tracks under water, and lots more bird tracks to study and compare. In the sand we found canine tracks that again highlighted the differences between fox and coyote – it was coyote this time!  And nearby, something that looked very much like coyote again.  But wait: there was the J pattern we’d seen earlier on hare tracks.  Hare tracks, but at high speed, stretched out into a long line, at first glance so easy to mistake for something else. 

Most of the afternoon had passed; we again needed a break from the intense sun.  We set off into the cool cedars and hemlocks once again, had a water break, and talked about some of the species we had seen and heard or whose tracks and sign we’d found.  Our day was almost over, we started to head back, but on the way out we stumbled on one last big discovery: a wild turkey carcass, female, with parts eaten away and feathers strewn in two areas.  What was the story here?  A mystery to end the day.  Also a chance to learn from the turkey, to study its feet and compare them to tracks we’d seen, to examine its beautiful feathers. 

We ended the day with gratitude to the animals and to the place, to the sun and shade, to Alexis and to each other.  It was a day characterized by bright sun, intense focus over a small area, and lots of detailed learning.

By Malgosia Halliop

Wildlife Tracking Apprenticeship - March Weekend

Here is a link to some photos from our most recent Wildlife Tracking Apprenticeship Weekend. It was the weekend that changed winter into Spring. The first day was -10 C or so and the next day was +10C, warm and sunny. Some great tracking and a great group of people to be with in the forest. There are always lessons to learn from nature. I'm thankful to have this opportunity to experience life in this time and place.

Happy Tracking

Alexis

http://www.flickr.com/photos/earthtracks/sets/72157628032743965/

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150537106007738.465995.9304677737&type=1

Get Those Roots in the Ground Where they Belong!

The taste of money proved tastier than that of potatoes during the last few markets of the season. I ended up selling more than I should have of these delicious tubers as well as onions, beets and the like.

Now I'm faced with the task of making these precious few bushels of potatoes, onions and beets last as long as they can.

Standing shovel in hand, looking at a landscape of rocky outcrops and whitepines I plunge the spade into the sweetfern and wintergreen covered duff layer. To my surprise it's easy digging. Fluffy and sandy this ancient riverbank proves to be.

I dig a hole 4 feet long, 2 feet wide and 5 feet deep in under 2 hours. The

next day I utilize odd bits of 1x2's and plywood to build a simple wooden box complete with hinges and a pull handle made of cord.

I lower it into the hole as one might a casket, slowly and methodically.

The space between the box and the perimeter of the hole I stuff straw, top with soil and then layer the bottom of the inside of the box with sawdust- 1 inch thick.

Besides potatoes and onions I pack a cardboard box with tomato sauce, salsa, pickles, canned salmon and various other canned goods that I don't want to freeze. I figure if this is supposed to keep the potatoes from freezing then it should keep everything from freezing, right?

I top it all with more straw (about 6 inches) , stuff straw around the goods inside and close the lid. I pile more straw on top (about 1.5 feet), cover that with a tarp, weighed down on all sides.

Now all I can do is wait. Wait and hope that this is going to be enough to keep the frost from piercing my precious spuds. Until next time!

Next time is December 27th. We hauled less food in knowing that buried beneath the ground was a treasure chest full of gold, yukon gold that is.

I unearth the box once my craving for salsa gets the best of me.

I feel very satisfied and a little wonderstruck as I pluck potatoes, onions and salsa from the box in the same condition as when I put them in. Hip hip, salsa and chips!

(significant warming occurred overnight)

Earth Tacks 2012 Schedule

Wildlife Tracking Workshop - January 14-15th - Beaver Valley near Kimberly

Algonquin Winter Tracking Trip - February 19^th-24^th -- Algonquin Park

Track and Sign Evaluation - February 26-27th - Dwight

Wild Plants Apprenticeship Program - April 7-8^th – Near Orangeville (10 month program 1 weekend a month)

Minesing Swamp Overnight Canoe Trip – April 14-15^th – Angus area

Traditional Hide Tanning Class - April 25th - 29th - Beaver Valley near Kimberly

Headwaters Primitive Skills Gathering – May 10-13th^th – Kimbercote Farm, Beaver Valley

Wildlife Tracking Workshop - May 19th - 20th - Wasaga Beach area

Edible Foraging Workshop - May 27th - Creemore - 100 Mile Market

Urban Edible and Medicinal Plants – June 8th - 10^th – PINE Project, Toronto

Edible and Medicinal Plants Class – June 14th - 17^th – Wolf Den Hostel, Dwight

Advanced Survival - Bridge Class - July 11-15th - Beaver Valley near Kimberly

The Way of the Naturalist Canoe Trip – July 17^th -22nd – Algonquin Park

PINE Project Youth Summer Camps – July 2nd – August 10^th – Toronto

PINE Project Youth Summer Camps – July 16-2oth & 23rd – 27^th – Huntsville Area

PINE Project Youth Over-Night Camps – July 29th - August 4th & August 5-11^th – Huntsville Area

The Spirit of Plants – August 4^th – 5th – Location TBA

The Art of Mentoring – August 2oth – 25^th – Norval Outdoor School, near Georgetown

The Algonquin Experience Canoe Trip – August 27th – September 3rd – Algonquin Park

Utilitarian Uses of Plants - Cordage, Baskets, etc.... - September 8-9th Dufferin County

The Art of Survival - September 13 - 16th - Parry Sound Area

Autumn Glory Canoe Trip – September 20th - 23rd – Algonquin Park

Traditional Hide Tanning Class – October 31st - November 4th – Beaver Valley near Kimberly

Herbal Medicine Making Class – November 16^th – 18^th – PINE Project, Toronto

Wildlife Tracking Apprenticeship Program 2013 - Begins in November 2012 - One weekend a month for 10 months

www.earthtracks.ca

That's it. A couple new additions will be added in the near future. If you have any questions or would like more information please contact us through email: earthtracks@gmail.com or phone 519 217 4921.