By Alisa McGowan

The last week of 2016 was an exciting one at the ERC. Our Winter Tracking Workshops and Winter Birding Walks commenced and we hosted an exhibit during the Ketchum Gallery Walk.

It was a perfect day for birding on December 28; clear skies, calm winds and local birding expert Poo Wright-Pulliam helped the group spot 37 different species of birds at the Silver Creek Preserve. Some rare species were spotted including Northern Shrike, Tundra Swan, Golden and Bald Eagle, and Grey Partridge.

On December 30, the abundance of new snow created a perfect canvas for viewing animal tracks during the Winter Tracking Workshop led by local tracking expert Ann Christensen. The group discovered tracks from many active creatures and learned a wealth interesting tracking knowledge from Ann.

The ERC office was open during the Ketchum Gallery Walk on Thursday, December 29. Many friendly visitors stopped-in to view our exhibit. Our exhibit highlighted the current threats snowshoe hares, Clark’s Nutcrackers, wolverines, and sockeye salmon face due to a changing snowpack. This exhibit will be on display at the ERC office throughout the winter, including during the February 17 Gallery Walk. Stop by and check it out!

Please check out our calendar or contact the ERC for more information about our upcoming programs or to register for a Winter Tracking Workshop or Birding Walk. Novice and expert trackers and birders of all ages are encouraged participate in our Winter Tracking Workshops and Birding Walks.

We are looking forward to another great year and hope you can join us for one of our exciting upcoming programs!

Upcoming Birding Walks:
Saturday, January 7, 2017
Saturday, February 4, 2017

Upcoming Tracking Workshops:
Saturday, January 14, 2017
Saturday, February 11, 2017

Upcoming Gallery Walk:
Friday, February 17, 2017