ALTAMONT — On Saturday, Dave Muska of Ondatra Adventures, led 10 or so intrepid participants, including children and elders, on a treasure hunt of sorts through the newly opened Bozen Kill Preserve.

Called “Animal Track and Sign,” the six-hour event showed participants how to slow down and look so closely that what Muska calls “a world of signs” becomes visible. 

The Bozen Kill visitors saw signs of cottontail rabbit, red squirrel, gray squirrel, flying squirrel, grouse, fisher, bobcat, fox, and coyote. They also witnessed an actual, live chase featuring a juvenile coopers hawk and a red squirrel; the squirrel got away. 

Saturday’s event in Altamont was the first of four events, all of which are free of charge and open to the community.

Other events coming up in the Naturalist Series are Bird Language 101, on Saturday, April 30, location to be announced; participants will learn to decipher the language hidden in the vocalizations and behaviors of common Capital Region birds. No prior knowledge is needed. 

The other two events are the same workshop, taught on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, location to be announced. At “Family Wilderness Survival,” parents and their children will learn firsthand skills such as shelter building, edible medicinal plant identification, and fire building and lighting. They’ll event have a chance to try starting a fire the old-fashioned way, with friction. 

For more information about any of these upcoming events, call Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy, at 518-436-6346, or visit the group’s web site at www.mohawkhudson.org, or email   .