This would be a pilot program for an environmental course that would involve taking the students on wilderness hikes to observe all aspects of nature and the environment. However, she was concerned that hiking during the winter months would be boring for the students because she felt the barren winter landscape would not have much to offer. I respectfully disagreed and began to talk about how advantageous the winter landscape can be from the standpoint of understanding wildlife. Winter, with its snow-covered ground, can give the wildlife watcher, photographer, or in this case student, lots of great information. Mud or sand can also be good for tracking, but mud or sand is usually in small sections and not nearly as easy to follow or find as the highly visible trail left in snow.
Tracks offer lots of good wildlife information.
First, it tells you what kind of critter it is. Also, by the age and condition of the track, it will give an indication of when the animal or bird was there. If the snow is not too deep, most critters will habitually use their same trails most of the year. This can help you understand where the wildlife came from and also where it is going. It s easy to confidently follow the tracks without the fear of getting lost, because you can always follow your own tracks back to the point that you started from.