Poking around with Tracker Dan

Another soggy morning greeted the brave MAEE students when we met out at the Barrington Headwaters. I had been looking forward to today, it was our morning with Dan the tracker. Going out into the headwaters for the second time was a different experience. I found myself focusing on the tree composition and not looking for signs of wildlife at all. I was curious to see what kinds of sign we were going to see and think I had underestimate the biodiversity of the region in my head.

Our morning got underway and the first stop was at a tree with a pile of saw dust like material at the bottom. Dan explained to us that this was from carpenter ants living in the tree and excavating little tunnels throughout. Also in the tree were holes carved by pileated woodpeckers searching for an afternoon snack. It is quite amazing how so many organisms can interact in one spot. One of my favorite parts of the mornings walk was hearing Dan's bird calls, they were amazing. I have been interested in ornithology for a while but have never been good with calls in the field, something I wish to improve on. Like the red-eyed vireo we heard singing 'here i am, here i am, look at me, look at me' or the oven bird saying 'teacher, teacher, teacher, teacher!!' while hovering overhead.

Due to the soggy weather and marsh-like conditions spotting tracks was a bit difficult. But we persisted and found some moose tracks down a game trail. It was great how you could follow where the moose was traveling by not only the tracks but by looking at the browse line. I wonder what the moose population is like here, being at the southern part of the range. The glorious black gum tree was also amazing. A true giant of the forest, this black gum was home to a porcupine burrow. I love porcupines and think they are fascinating critters. The first time I saw one was in Alaska, scampering up a tree, and I had no idea that they were such good climbers! It would be very interesting to study that black gum tree and the porcupine borrow and see how many are actually using it. Where are their main feeding sites? When do they go feed? What are they mainly feeding on?

The slug trails in the downed birch tree was something I had never seen before. As the slugs slimed their way across they ate the birch and made these fascinating little road almost. If someone would not have pointed it out, I would never have known. There are so many things to see that hide beneath the surface of a forest!

A brief lunch break at Eleanor's house and it was off to Warren Farms to meet Randy. What a character and a wealth of information. I found myself not taking notes because I was so interested in what he was saying. His discussion on the organic label was fascinating. Most of us think that if something is labeled organic then it is environmentally friendly, good to buy, etc. Randy had some interesting points about local farmers and how they choose to raise their crops makes more of a difference and impact than the organic label itself. Very cool!