Join me to learn about one of the similarities our city’s rodents and corvids share behaviorally: caching and scatter hoarding. This behavior entails burying food for winter. Our walk will start on the Nature Boardwalk’s viewing platform as we attempt to observe beavers getting ready for winter. We will then look for corvids to see if we observe any crows or blue jays cache any food underground, and finally, we’ll be looking at squirrels. We’ll be collecting data through Project Squirrel to think critically of the decision making process that goes behind caching or consuming an item and see if the squirrels are caching more anthropogenic or natural food items.

The walk will start at the nature boardwalk, then we will be walking slightly south of the boardwalk before we head north to the north pond.

Please wear layers as it may be cold and windy and some boots as it may be wet. In order to get here you can take the red line to North and Clybourn or the brown line to Sedgwick and take the 72 bus from there. Both train lines have stations. The 151 bus is also an option. As you walk from the end of the 72 bus line, you will walk up Stockton Dr and see an SP+ Parking lot south of the meeting point.

Can’t wait to see you there!!!

Trip Leader: Eugenio Calderon

Meeting Spot: Stockton Dr next to the Farm in the Zoo and Lincoln Park Zoo

Photo credit: American Crow by Lewis Miller