Even in the planning stages of the show I had gathered a total repertoire of bad jokes. Of course I remained above it all and attempted to explain the importance of what animals leave behind. Distinguished guest Nikki Lefebvre, a trail guide and naturalist here at the center, is also an amateur Scatologist.

Scat, the feces of mammals, provides the naturalist an important window into the world of mammals. That information includes mammal identification and presence, location of activities, composition of diet, seasonal diet changes, and samples of prey species. Armed with note pad and bags of baggies the scatologist hits the trails in search of this important tool. I am reading now, "You must take scat out of the plastic as soon as possible; otherwise the scat will become moldy. Upon returning from the field, remove the scat and put it and your field note in the center of newspaper. Fold and staple. The newspaper is porous and the scat can dry inside the paper envelope. Place this package in an out-of-the-way place such as in an outside garage." Then it goes into the construction of a drying box and sealing your scat with clear varnish. These people are serious folks.

Nikki arrived with a clear plastic fishing box she says she customized by removing partitions. There were large compartments for large scat and small compartments for, well you get the idea. There were samples from black bear, porcupine, bobcat, beaver, moose, and others all neatly labeled and everything. If you want to see this interesting and very informative show, watch ‘Animals, Animals,’ AT&T BROADBAND, channel A14, M-F, at 5:00 p.m. For further reading checkout "A Field Guide to Mammal Tracking in North America" by James Halfpenny. Serious research began in the early 60’s and there’s been no end to it.

Contact Jim Dunlap, director of the Holifield Science Center

of Plano Independent School District, 3100 Shiloh Road, at 469-752-1194