March Challenge: What's left behind?

 

🐻March Challenge is all about what is left behind!🐦

Citizen Science projects are just as diverse as our natural ecosystems are! Recording what animals leave behind, is just as valuable as seeing the animals themselves. Hair or feathers, scat and tracks tell us a lot about animal diets, movements, and behaviours.

Hair or Feathers

Did you know moose hair is hollow? This allows the moose to insulate heat throughout our cold winters!

Scat (aka poop)

Bear scat changes with the seasons! During the peak of berry season, their scat is mostly piles of berries. 

Tracks

How do you tell between a domestic and wild dog track? Domestic dogs like to explore on their walks creating 4 different distinct paw prints. Whereas coyotes and wolves follow a single pathway where their front and back paw prints land on the same foot prints. This approach makes their hunts quick and more efficient! (fact source: AWIC). 

There are a local Citizen Science Projects that focus in on what is left behind:

Bird Tracks and Signs 

Found Feathers 

Scatology

Here are your challenges for the month of March:

1. Submit an observation to one of the projects above in month of March. Alternatively, we can submit it your behalf (make sure you tell us your name so we can give you credit)!
2. Complete one of the activities in the Alberta Parks "It Remains Take Home Book" and send us a picture of the sheet by email (education@greencalgary.org) or social media accounts!  
3. Create your own wildlife track using your own hands! Get creative with paint, crayons, pencil crayons to create your own work of art. Send a photo by email (education@greencalgary.org) or social media accounts!

Check out our own Citizen Science Project on iNaturalist here! Feel free to submit your photos here anytime.

Once you've completed one of the challenges, you’ll be entered into the contest to win the BIG nature prize pack! Winners will be announced in June.

🎉Here is a sneak peak to the prize pack! 🎉

Remember you can submit your challenges on our social media platforms:
Facebook: Green Calgary
Twitter: @greencalgary
Instagram: @greencalgary