Skip to content

Walk for Wildlife a hit with young participants at Scout Island

Our next free family event will be on April 28 from 1-3 pm at the Scout Island Nature Centre
15918404_web1_190312-WLT-NatureKids2
Participants at Scout Island Nature Centre’s Walk for WIldlife Sunday take part in a fun fox and hare game.

Kim Zalay

Special to the Tribune/Advisor

The Walk for Wildlife held on Sunday, March 10, at the Scout Island Nature Centre was a huge success with 12 inquisitive youngsters and their parents taking part.

With such a beautiful day the goal was to get the children out to look for signs of wildlife.

The group started in the Nature Centre looking at a few of the common animals on the island (birds and mammals) that may be out and about at this time of the year, footprint patterns and a brief introduction to predator prey relationship (snowshoe hare/bobcat).

Read More:Torch passed for Nature Kids program at Scout Island

Brainstorming for other signs such as fur, feathers, bones, nests and scat that would indicate various wildlife visiting or living on the island followed before heading outdoors. Of course we were all hoping to see the animals themselves.

For our group the walk out to Otter Point and down the Marsh Trail was quite a trip with much success.

The group was able to locate the following signs of wildlife: a goldfinch feather, woodpecker holes in a tree, crow’s nest, beaver lodge, bullocks oriole nest, osprey nesting sight, mink and snowshoe hare prints.

In addition to the signs the group was also able to see the following wildlife out and about: crows, raven, red-winged blackbirds, song sparrows, two coots, one goldeneye, northern flicker, black-capped chickadees, with the crowning glory being a chipmunk out enjoying the warm weather.

After the walk the group played a game of fox and hare where the children were the snowshoe hare and adults were the foxes.

The youngster found their “home” before scrambling to retrieve food and take it back to their home without getting caught by a fox. This chase game produced all kinds of excitement as the snowshoe hares darted, dodged and bee-lined for their food and back to their hiding place.

Upon returning to the inside of the Nature Center participants’ curiosity was further piqued as they checked out the footprint ID activity center, stamped wolf prints and met the various animals living at the Nature Centre.

Our next free family event will be on April 28 from 1-3 pm at the Scout Island Nature Centre. The event will have participants involved in various activities and games associated with keeping our earth healthy. Open to all children aged five to 12 years accompanied by an adult.

Register to become a Nature Kid at www.naturekidsbc.ca, pick up a form at Scout Island, or call us at Scout Island: 250-398-8532.



Do you have a comment about this story? email:
editor@wltribune.com

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

15918404_web1_190312-WLT-NatureKids1
Photos submitted Participants examine footprints in the sand under the guidance of environmental educator Bill Gilroy at Scout Island Nature Centre’s Walk for Wildlife Sunday.