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Area youth experienced the outdoors in the warmth of the classroom Thursday afternoon, Jan. 24, in the “Track Those Creatures” lesson offered through Luverne Community Education.
Blue Mounds State Park Naturalist Amber Brooks brought the nature lesson indoors to life for the ten participants.
Animal tracks were placed around the room for the students to identify the animal hoof or paw prints using a booklet Brooks developed.
They later used 3-D molds to make plaster casts of animals living at the state park located north of Luverne.
Thursday’s sub-zero temperatures and wind chills hindered an actual outdoor search for animal tracks, but Brooks’ position allows her to bring her nature lessons to the community.
“The class gives us an opportunity to let people know we are here and we want people to come out and see us,” Brooks said.
The booklet, “Winter Tracks and Trails of Blue Mounds State Park,” showed a picture of area wildlife such as a white-tailed deer, gray fox and snowshoe rabbit.
Another community education offering featuring the state park will be Feb. 7. “Sneakers, Slithers and Scaly Critters” is for children ages 4 through second grade.