Winter ecology day outdoor education program planned Saturday

Come share a winter day studying the interactions of area wildlife with their environment, in northwestern Montana. Participants will meet Saturday  at 9 a.m.  in the Viking Room of the Venture Inn at 1015 U.S. Highway 2 in Libby.

Over coffee, participants will go over a brief set of handouts describing specialized predator/prey relationships such as the one between Canada lynx and snowshoe hare. The group will additionally focus on some botanical terminology that will help spot and identify more predominant characteristics of coniferous trees, evergreen shrubs and forbs. The group will depart for field work and visit two to four  types of areas, where we will hunt as a wildlife research team to find tracks, sign and scat of area wildlife and look for birds, identify evergreen and deciduous vegetation, analyze habitats and connect animal behavior with the local environs.

Come prepared for the day with a full gas tank, proper layers, lunch, water, good boots, snowshoes if you have them, hats and gloves, cameras and binoculars. Ski poles can be helpful walking in deep snow.

This adult only class will take road tours, do a couple of short hikes on private lands, and wrap up will be around 1:30 p.m. All participants must register. Not super strenuous, slots limited to small group. For more information, email Brian Baxter at b_baxter53@yahoo.com or call 406-291-2154.