Naturalist Challenges

The Alderleaf Wilderness Certification Program just completed its final week of school before several weeks off for winter break.  Our final week of classes included bird language studies and working with traps and snares.

The final day of class before break was a day of naturalist challenges.  Both cohorts got together and worked in groups in a friendly competition to see who could earn the most points in each of the various challenges.

One challenge was the naturalist scavenger hunt, which included mapping a detailed map of the Alderleaf Property, and recording as many species of flora and fauna as possible... all within 1 hour of time! 

Here, instructor apprentice Shaun helps students Ryan, Roy and Alan identify some of the more challenging plants.


The next challenge involved making a friction fire as quickly as possible, and making it hot enough and high enough to pop a suspended water balloon.  The catch is that they could only use fire wood found in the forest during the challenge.  It happened to be a very wet day, which made this especially difficult.

Here student Scott blows on a tinder bundle after placing a coal in it in hopes of getting a fire.

After a great deal of effort, and team work, here is what the moment of success looks like:

Here is Sean, a successful member from another group just after the balloon was popped.

Victory is evident by the big smile and the numerous droplets of water that came from the exploding water balloon.

The final day before break was a blast, and there was much fun and celebration.  We look forward our Alderleaf Wilderness Certification Program students returning from break.

Look for more updates from Alderleaf in the new year!

Wildlife Tracking Apprenticeship

Alderleaf Wilderness College teaches many classes, one of which is the 10-weekend long Wildlife Tracking Apprenticeship.  This is an in-depth extended study into the field of wildlife tracking that includes both basic and advanced tracking concepts.

During the second weekend in December, students in the class spent Saturday focusing on ecological tracking: looking at wildlife evidence in the landscape such as trails, beds, chews, scrapes, scats and other sign. On Sunday, the students spent practicing the skills of trailing.

Saturday started with a close look at a skull found near the creek on the Alderleaf property.  We all looked closely, and worked together on determining what species the skull belonged to and what predator likely killed and fed upon it.

This is the skull of a Douglas Squirrel (Tamiasciurus douglasii), and the likely predator was a weasel, as demonstrated by the chew marks and indentations of the canines in the brain case.  Weasels often feed on the brains of small mammals, as the brain is a very fat-rich organ.

Students then headed to the field and very quickly located some fresh coyote scat in a meadow.  Upon closer inspection, we noticed that the scat contained a segment of a tapeworm in it!

In the same meadow, students found 4 different kinds of vole sign, including: trails, scat, feeding sign and a vole nest.  Then, as we were walking into the forest we ran into a tiny insectivorous mammal.

This little Trowbridge's shrew (Sorex trowbridgii) is one of the smallest mammals in the world, and is a very active insect hunter that hardly ever stops moving.  We have seen their tracks before, but it was great to see the animal itself in action.

We ended our day by exploring the edge of a beaver pond, and watching a kingfisher catch and eat a small trout.  It was a wonderful day in the field, and we all left excited to learn more.

Watch for more updates soon!