Hilltown Land Trust

Dedicated to protecting the working lands, native habitats and rural beauty of the Hilltowns since 1986

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Wildlife Track and Sign Workshop

Date/Time
Date(s) - Feb 22nd, 2025
10:00 am - 3:30 pm


Event leader, Jess Applin, crouching in the snow next to coyote tracks with her arms stretched marking the size of the animal in the forest.What clues do animals leave behind on the winter landscape? Join tracker and HLT staff member Jess Applin for a beginner- and intermediate-friendly 2.5-hour session of wildlife tracking and reading the land.

Jess will take a small group through soon-to-be-conserved private land in Chesterfield, home to vernal pools and rich wildlife habitats. We’ll start with an introduction to basic animal track identification around the fire, then head into the woods to learn about animal behavior, ecology, and habitat features. 

Together, we will uncover the greater story of the wildlife around us and gather the big-picture narrative by reading the landscape. After our session, we will come together to reflect on our experience around the fire and get cozy with warm beverages! 

Wildlife sign is all around us! This program will run regardless of snow cover. 

Ages: All ages welcome! Minors must be accompanied by an adult.
Dogs: Due to the sensitive ecological nature of this event, please leave non-service dogs at home.
RSVP: Required.
Cost: $25 sliding scale (see below)

Sessions

Choose from one of two 2.5-hour sessions.

  • Morning Session: 10 am – 12:30 pm
  • Afternoon Session: 1 pm – 3:30 pm

The rain date for this event is Saturday, February 24th.

About Jess Applin

Jess, who has red hair and is wearing a gray zip sweater, is seen from the shoulders up smiling into the camera. In the background are blurred, sunlit bare branches.
Jess Applin

Jess Applin (she/her) is the Land Conservation and Stewardship Manager at Hilltown Land Trust. Jess holds over ten years of tracking experience and has taught wildlife track and sign ID in the past at HLT, The Nature Conservancy, and for the Wild and Scenic Westfield River Committee. Jess also collaborates with the Berkshire Wildlife Linkage effort to increase the conservation and awareness of critical parcels of land connecting wildlife habitats across western Massachusetts. 

Access Info

Moving at the speed of the slowest member of the group, we will go on and off trail between .5 and 2 miles, stopping to examine tracks. Depending on weather conditions, hikers will be provided with snowshoes to traverse the forested trails. 

  • Bathroom: No indoor bathroom facilities – this is a “use the trees” program.
  • Distance Traveled: 0.5 to 2 miles, depending on group interest and abilities
  • Fragrances: To be respectful of those with allergies and environmental sensitivities, please refrain from wearing strong fragrances.
  • Parking: Unmarked parking spots in a compacted dirt parking area. 
  • Public transportation: Public transit is not available to this location. Contact us if you are interested in coordinating a carpool. 
  • Seating: Chairs (type TBD) around the fire at an outdoor lean-to. 
  • Surfaces: Compacted dirt parking area, on and off-trail forested terrain, snow and or ice depending on weather conditions, potential for mud. 

We’re happy to discuss your access needs for this event! For questions and accommodation requests, please reach out to Sarah at sarah@hilltownlandtrust.org (413) 628-4485 ext. 6

Cost

The suggested donation for this program is $0-25. Your donation supports future programs like this at HLT.

To become a member of Hilltown Land Trust for the year, make a gift in any amount to support our efforts to conserve and care for ecologically valuable land in the Hilltowns.

Questions?

Please reach out to sarah@hilltownlandtrust.org or call  (413) 628-4485 ext. 6.

Registration Form

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