Not all animals hibernate during the winter, and having snow on the ground can make it easier to see what our furry friends are up to this time of year. If you have visited a preserve recently, you have probably seen footprints criss-crossing the trails that clearly weren’t made by a human. If you have ever wondered what made them, we have the resources to help you figure it out.
Reference our Animal Track Guide
We worked with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to put together this quick guide to the animal tracks you might see in Greater Portland, whether that be your front lawn in Westbrook or deep in the woods in Windham.
MDIFW also publishes a Maine Animal Tracks Pocket Guide covering the whole state. You can download and print a copy here, but we’re also hoping to have some to pass out at our upcoming nature walk (more on that below).
Check out these Photos
In January 2021, well over 100 participants went outside throughout our region in search of animal tracks. Maine Master Naturalist Marion Sprague helped identify the tracks and provided great tips and tricks for successful tracking in the future. Here are some highlights from the week along with educational wisdom about each set of prints.
Join a Nature Walk
A great way to start identifying tracks is to learn from a pro! Maine Master Naturalist Joan Lundin will be leading a nature walk at Pride Preserve for our community at the end of February. We’ll be searching for all kinds of animal tracks, as well as observing plants and other natural phenomena visible this time of year. For more information and to sign up to join the walk, click the button below.
Become a Maine Master Naturalist
If you want to seriously up your game on all things in our woods and waters, you can become a Maine Master Naturalist. In a ten month course, students learn about Maine’s plants, animals, geology, and ecological systems, and they are also trained to be volunteers who will enrich nature education in Maine. Unfortunately the deadline to join the 2026 classes has already passed, but applications for the 2027 course will open in September, and those classes are planned to be held right here in southern Maine.