Wildlife Tracking at the Intervale

Do you ever get the feeling that you’re not *entirely* alone on the trail?

Here at the Intervale, you’re probably not. Don’t freak out! Our community is lucky to share a home with a wide range of wildlife, from squirrels to possums to deer. We consider these animals as much as a part of our community as the humans that frequent the Intervale Center.

Winter is a great time to discover more about the inhabitants of the Intervale trail network. The fresh snow acts as a blank sheet of paper for animals to document their days, kind of like a diary written in a different language.

Like any language, all it takes to become fluent is practice. It’s simple enough to learn the track patterns of local wildlife, but to become an expert tracker, you’ll need to learn to think like the animal you’re tracking. Put yourself in their paws!

For example, a raccoon enjoying their lunch break at the dumpster will most likely venture out to the riverbank to wash their hands afterwards. Rumor has it they are very hygienic critters – trule role models for hand-washing and mask-wearing. So, even if you lose track of Rocky’s prints, you may be able to make an educated guess about where to pick them back up.

Check out our upcoming Wildlife Tracking workshop with Vermont Fish & Wildlife on Saturday, February 26th from 10 am – 12 pm to learn tracking basics. We’ll meet at the Community Barn for a brief presentation, and then venture out into the trails to see who else is out there.

Can’t make it to the workshop? Try a self-guided tracking tour of the Calkins Loop with our Wildlife Tracking Guide.

And remember, even though we think of our robust wildlife community as neighbors, it’s never appropriate to knock on their doors with a casserole in hand. Please enjoy learning more about this part of the Intervale at a safe distance!