Winter Tracking Fun

Teton Regional Land Trust and Teton Nordic Club team up to inspire winter wildlife learning

Nearly 50 children clicked into their skis to take a tour in search of wildlife and their tracks last Wednesday. The Teton Regional Land Trust partnered with the Teton Nordic Club for the fourth annual Nordic Naturalist kid’s wildlife tracking ski. This year’s event was hosted on two adjacent conservation easements in Teton Basin owned by the Klausmann and Graham families.

Children toured the conservation easements in search of signs of wildlife with help from Teton Regional Land Trust staff and Andy Steele who volunteered his extraordinary knowledge of winter wildlife. The children split into two groups and toured the properties, one group went out for a longer ski down to the river and the other group got out to take a look at some wildlife sign closer by. During the ski, children observed sign of moose, white tailed deer, mice, voles, ermin, raptors and coyote. They also spotted some trumpeter swans and mallard as they skied along the river.

The children are eligible to earn a Nordic Naturalist pin by going on three wildlife observation outings. The group ski on the conservation easements last week counts as one of their three ski outings. During the three wildlife observation skis, children are encouraged to make notes on a card provided by the Land Trust to keep track of the signs they find. The wildlife cards have examples of tracks, scat and animals they may find in and around Teton Basin.  Nordic Naturalist pins will be awarded to the Teton Nordic Club participants that complete their three wildlife observation skis this season.

The Teton Regional Land Trust would like to extend a big thanks to the conservation easement owners, the Graham and Klausmann families, who graciously gave permission for the Nordic Naturalist program to explore their properties. Thank you Andy Steele for volunteering your tremendous knowledge and education skills, to the Teton Nordic Club organizers and coaches Bob Gammelin and Ty Mack, participants and parents. ■