LAKEWOOD —Jodi Morse talked expertly about mammals found in as she walked along trails dusted with fresh snow.
A park naturalist, Morse bent down to point at a group of paw prints as a small group huddled around her.
“So if it’s three lobes and no toenail marks, it’s going to be a cat,” Morse said. “But if it’s a well groomed dog, they don’t show toenail marks either, so you’re going to immediately think cat. But dogs only have two lobes, and that’s how you tell the difference.”
Morse and another park naturalist, Jennifer Standlee, last week guided a group of about a dozen seniors outside the park’s visitor center for the first official outing of the senior naturalist program, for people 55 and older.
“We hope to increase their awareness about mammals, what kind of mammals you might find here, where they live, hibernate, travel and what do you do if you encounter one of these animals,” Standlee said.
While this outing focused on mammals and animal signs, future tours will explore topics like insects, wetlands, spring babies and fossils.
Knowing that many seniors are staying active well past retirement age, park officials decided to do a few pilot tours last summer to gauge interest. They quickly filled up, and Morse said it was an easy decision to expand into a full-time program.
“It’s a great opportunity, not only for people with a lot of time on their hands, but for those who want to know about the outdoors but don’t want to do it by themselves,” she added.
Bear Creek Lake Park is one of 800 statewide members of the . There are only a few programs across the state focusing on environmental education for seniors, said executive director Katie Navin.
“Having those educational opportunities is a critical need,” Navin said. “It’s where we live, work, play and learn; it’s what’s around us, so it impacts our quality of life and the decisions we make every day.”
Before the tour, participants sat in a visitor center classroom surrounded by tables displaying skeletons, furs and pelts of Bear Creek Lake Park mammals.
The seniors learned how to directly or indirectly — through prints, scat or fur tufts — identify animals like fox, deer, bobcat, coyotes, mountain lions and beaver.
A few minutes later, the group was outside looking for mammal signs. As the rising sun slowly drove away the morning freeze, participants were able to put their newly acquired skills to use in an ideal tracking environment.
Paw prints dotted the pristine coating of snow, telling small stories of animal movement over the past 12 hours. Cat tracks followed rodent prints. Were those dog or coyote markings?
The seniors talked excitedly as they explored fields around the visitor center. Most said they would be back for more classes.
“I love natural history — it’s been a passion of mine forever,” said Lakewood resident Karen Eberhardt, who signed up for three classes. “I’m an amatuer artist; I take notes, do sketchbooks then will transfer that and draw pictures once I’m home.”
Austin Briggs: 303-954-1729, abriggs@denverpost.com or twitter.com/abriggs
Senior naturalists programs
Info: lakewood.org/bclpevents or 303-697-6159
