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Nature center hike goes down the turkey trail
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Neighbors | Shaiyla Hakeem .Ford Nature Center naturalist Bob Coggeshall enlightened local nature hobbyists about the life and history of wild turkeys Sunday. Following the presentation, he led the group in a turkey search through the park.
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Neighbors | Shaiyla Hakeem .The Ford Nature Center held an interpretive hike Sunday following an informational powerpoint presentation by naturalist Bob Coggeshall. Interpretive hikes are held several times a month at the center.
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Neighbors | Shaiyla Hakeem .Champion Township resident Carl Antonelli found a large sycamore leaf while searching for turkeys Sunday by the Ford Nature Center. More than 30 people attended the interpretive hike.
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Neighbors | Shaiyla Hakeem .More than 30 people participated in the Ford Nature Center's interpretive hike Sunday that was focused around turkeys. The group hiked one mile in search of the native bird.
By SHAYILA HAKEEM
Thanksgiving is a time for giving thanks, eating turkey and searching for the large birds in the midst of a highly-wooded area.
Mill Creek MetroPark’s Ford Nature Center hosted an interpretive hike Sunday for nature hobbyists who wanted to learn more about turkeys. Ford Nature Center naturalist Bob Coggeshall gave a PowerPoint presentation on the five species of turkeys, which include osceola, rio grande, merriam, gould and Eastern wild turkeys. He gave a brief history of the native North American bird mentioning that it was almost the nation’s national bird, but lost by one vote on the Congressional ballot to the Bald Eagle.
Coggeshall shed light on little-known turkey facts like how the birds sleep in trees at night and can fly up to 55 miles per hour. He mentioned the average life expectancy for the species is 1.5 years, but the oldest turkey that has been recorded lived to turn 13.
To prepare the group for their interpretive hike, Coggeshall explained the physical descriptors of a male and female turkeys so their gender could be easily identified. The group of more than 30 people traveled along the walking paths by the nature center searching for footprints and evidence of a turkey’s presence.
Since turkeys can hear up to a mile away, it was no surprise to the group that the turkeys stayed clear of their search party.
Hannah Moses, of Hermitage Pa., brought her walking stick with her. She participates in several interpretive hikes at the center throughout the year, but has never searched for turkeys.
“It is nice to hike with a naturalist because you learn so much about the park and the animals,” she said. “I try to come to as many of these as I can.”
Other interpretative hikes of the past included searches for monarch butterflies, dragonflies and historical sites within Mill Creek Park. Coggeshall will host another hike Dec. 5 at Rocky Ridge.
For information, contact the Ford Nature Center at 330-740-7107.