Our sold-out Forest Academy Animal Tracking workshop at the Santa Clara River Preserve on Saturday, July 11, was great fun—and incredibly informative.
After discovering that access to the river basin was blocked by abundant spring growth, our expert leaders, Wyatt Harris and Martyn LeNoble, adapted the plan. They scouted the roads and parking area early that morning, flagging numerous tracks for our group to explore.
Without even wandering down the trail, we found evidence of an amazing variety of wildlife, including fox, rabbit, kangaroo rat, Jerusalem cricket, snake, toad, quail, raccoon, and coyote. With each set of tracks they pointed out, Wyatt and Martyn shared fascinating clues that revealed the unique characteristics of each species.
For example, a toad’s front foot leaves a print that resembles a bird track, except it has three distinct dots trailing behind from the hind foot. A raccoon’s tracks often appear as a pair—one front foot and one back foot—because of their lumbering gait, with the back foot stepping nearly alongside the front. We even learned how to tell which direction a snake was traveling by the way the dirt or sand had been pushed aside as it slithered along.
We learned how to distinguish canid tracks from cat tracks, use field guides to identify prints, and even estimate track size using our hands when a measuring tool isn’t available. We also examined scat and discovered some of the unique bathroom habits of different wildlife species. Martyn shared stories from his experiences tracking wolves in both the Rockies and here in California, making for an engaging and memorable morning.
A special thank you to Amanda Meller, who assisted our leaders by pointing out additional tracks and helping identify who left them. While some participants had more experience than others in the art of tracking, there was plenty to see and learn for everyone.
We’re also grateful to The Nature Conservancy for allowing us to host this event at the Santa Clara River Preserve. Many participants were visiting the preserve for the first time and were amazed by its beauty, size, and ecological significance.
Our fourth and final Forest Academy event of the year will take place on October 25 at Camp Arnaz in Ojai, where we’ll turn our attention to one of the forest’s most fascinating nighttime residents: bats!