Weekend Volunteer Naturalist Training: Hidden Life: Signs of Animal Activity (Beechwood)

THIS SESSION: This program is going to focus mainly on local mammals. We have many mammals on our reserves. These animals are very familiar by name to our visitors. Yet we often only catch a glimpse of them, and some we never see at all. Fortunately they leave clues to their presence behind. Tracks, scat, holes, chews and rubs are the "tail-tells." We will review our local mammals, share some cool natural history about them, and learn what signs they may leave for us. This is a great general background topic for any naturalist because the names and faces are familiar to our visitors and our visitors are very curious about them.

About the Weekend Volunteer Naturalist Program:

Share your enthusiasm for nature as a weekend trail docent! This new program will train you in casual interaction with visitors to our reserve to connect them to birds and nature while also recording wildlife sightings and, where appropriate, participating in community science projects. The training series will give you a foundation in the general natural history and common plants and animals of our reserves. Here’s how it works: take at least four trainings (you choose!), choose one focus area (birds, plants, trees, water, etc), then volunteer at Beechwood or Succop Nature Park. You might walk the trail, or host a table, or some combination depending on the focus area. We work with you to customize a format that works for you and your topic. Commitment is a two-hour window on Saturday or Sunday, six times during the year. Opportunities to help with other weekend programming may be available but are optional. Please note: because of work with the public, a background check is required. Free. Advance registration for any workshop is required.

The training and volunteering is designed for adults and interested teens 16 and over. (You may have your family help you when you volunteer.)
Training sessions are a combination of classroom and field--dress to be comfortable in both settings!
To begin, come to any four training sessions throughout the coming year. (You may come to them all, if you wish!)
Please sign up for each workshop individually. Advance registration is required.
Workshops are held concurrently at Beechwood and Succop: Be sure to choose the training location. You may volunteer at either location regardless of where you train, though it's best if you train where you intend to volunteer most.

Future training programs planned for spring and summer:
* Waters: Critters and water quality assessment;
* Birds 2: Migrants and Summer Nesters
* Spring Flowers and Plants;
* Leaf Litter Life;
* Bugs!;
* Late Summer Flowers and Plants