billingsnaturalist

Ponderosa Needle Drop

carolynsevier — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:17:40 +0000

Note the light-brown needles toward the base of the branches

Tracks in the sand; September 13, 2011

carolynsevier — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 21:24:42 +0000

September 13, 11am. Cove Canyon Grasslands. Pleasant temp, cloudless sky, slight breeze.

The inner, downhill side of a slow curve in the gravel road leading to our house is just right for collecting sand. If the road were a meandering stream, this would be a perfect sandbar. And just like a sandbar, this curve is a great place to find animal tracks. On this cool and cloudless September morning, there was plenty of evidence of activity over the last day or so. Describing tracks is certainly trickier than looking at them, even photographs are tough to interpret; any good tracking book includes sketches. This also makes field study a critical part of learning to track. But here are a few descriptions anyway, with some photos to compare.

Soft depressions, softly curving toward a center-line, hinting at paisley print, a crescent depression parallelling each facing edge, and fine-toothed comb trails surrounding, follow the shrubby edge of the road until dropping downhill through an opening in the mustards and gumweeds. A porcupine taking the path of least resistance. (My tracking book lists the two gaits of a porcupine as “walk” and “amble”–no running or leaping or bounding for this one.)

porcupine track showing quill marks

A thin trail shaded in by the pointillism of tiny feet and a few vertical light-touch centerlines. A deer mouse crosses the road. (No photo here…the tracks were just too small to get a good detail.)

Four-pointed stars crowd together, three arms in each brushed back and each star following closely behind the advance until a pathway emerges, like the trail of a die-cut wheel that appears suddenly and departs after just a few shallow curves. A crow/magpie/pinyon jay taking a brief break from flight.

a walking bird, individual track length 1.75-2"

Welcome; Master Naturalist Course

carolynsevier — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 19:55:40 +0000

Hello! Welcome to the Billings Naturalist web log. This is a place for updates on the professional endeavors of Carolyn Sevier, naturalist educator in Billings, Montana. You’ll find information on two main subjects: field notes from my wanderings about the area landscape, particularly my 3,000-acre prairie backyard of Cove Canyon Grasslands, and announcements and updates about programs I’m involved in, especially the Billings Master Naturalist course. Thanks to those of you who expressed interest in staying in touch. Keep up the conversation!

Master Naturalist Course: Go Local, Go Deep. The first Billings Master Naturalist class will be held in Spring Semester 2012 through MSU-Billings Downtown. A series of weekday-evening classes and all-day Saturday field trips will provide students with a broad introduction to the landscapes around Billings. Including naturalist skills, species-level details, study of biomes and bioregions, and opportunities to share their knowledge with others, students will learn the deep story of their local place. The curriculum we will be using is based on the Montana Master Naturalist program developed at the Montana Natural History Center in Missoula. Read more at their website, www.montananaturalist.org. Watch for more information about the Billings course here and in MSU-Billings publications.