Katie Says: I’ve got a bone to pick!

The winter’s record snows have almost completely melted! As the snow retreats, treasures become revealed: new green shoots of spring flowers, stashed acorns forgotten by squirrels, and sometimes…bones.

After the snow melts and before the spring’s new vegetation grows is a great time to practice what I fondly call “skulling.” Skulling is the process of hiking around an area in search of animal bones. Why look for animal bones? Because it’s incredible what you can learn from them! You can learn about the anatomy of the animal itself, how it died, and what animals live where you are, just for starters. During my skulling journeys in many states, I have come across many fascinating finds: an entire deer skeleton perfectly preserved in a wetland, a raccoon skull deep in a forest, propeller-scarred manatee bones on Florida shores, and fish skeletons below an osprey’s nest. It is very important to note that if you choose to embark on your own skulling mission, any piece of animal remains, even feathers, cannot be kept without a permit from the federal and state governments. Better to leave your finds behind for the next skuller anyway!

Once you find your first skull, you may wonder, “How can I tell what animal this is from?” Well this Sunday you can have the chance to find out! March 14, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. is “Nature Detectives: Taking the Sk-ary out of Skulls” at Briar Bush. The program is part of a new family series of programs, geared towards participants from seven to 107. During this month’s program, led by The Nature Geek (that’s me!), we’ll be examining real animal skulls and will figure out the mystery identities of each by looking at where the skull came from, its size and the kind of teeth it has. We’ll even be solving an animal mystery along the way! If you are interested in registering for the program, contact Briar Bush! And as always, if you have a question or a story of your own to share, email me at kfisk[at symbol]briarbush.org!