Northwest Trek

The trip to the Northwest Trek was memorable and showcased a lot of fascinating animals found in the Pacific Northwest. Unfortunately, 'showcased' is why I wasn't as thrilled as had I seen these animals out in the wild. There's just nothing that compares to witnessing them out in nature where they aren't confined and encountering them is a matter of chance. However, the enclosures do serve as a means for the general public to observe and study and it gave me a chance to see the animals up close.


I think the most interesting thing I learned was about how owls' eyes go all the way to the back of their head. Because of this physical trait, they cannot move their eyes and thus must rotate their entire head, swiveling up to 270 degrees! Owls are my favorite of the class Aves so naturally I enjoyed finding out more facts about them. It was also interesting to examine the skulls at the end, particularly how the skull of the cougar had much larger ocular cavities than the bear skull and how this correlates to the function or amount of information being transmitted to and from the brain.


BLOG ASSIGNED QUESTIONS
1. On the tram I saw California Bighorn Sheep, Elk, Mountain Goats, American Bison, Swans, and Ducks. I don't remember the tram guides name but he looked like a Kyle so I'm going to call him Kyle.
2. n/a
3. a few per year
4. Deer such as the Blacktail and Elk have antlers, the Bighorn Sheep and Bison have horns.
5. n/a
6. Several including the Bighorn Sheep and Snowy Owl.
7. The Wolf, only around 50 in the entire state.
8. Tallest: Bison. Heaviest: Bison.
9. Le Skunk
10. n/a
11. Otters, Beavers, Wolverines, and Raccoons. Fishers prey on porcupines.
12. Lynx have much softer coats (cause of their being overhunted), and ears with long pointy tufts.
13. n/a
14. Theodore Roosevelt (I cheated and Googled)
15. Refer to above

Special thanks to Gwen and Shawn for this fun outing!

Northwest Trek

NW Trek was a very interesting place, and it was nice seeing all the cute animals! There was a lot of information about the different types of animals to gather and I was certainly pleased to have learned about them, thank you! My favorite animal was the wolverine as it was running around it's cage pleading to be let free, losing it's sanity in front of the paying customers who keep this prison from hell alive and running- because I can relate. Poor lad.

Flying Pupper

Spiky Pupper

???? Pupper

Cat

Overall the experience was neat, I am not one for animal enclosures but at least some of the animals were being kept well for the sake of their injured self. I liked learning about owls and how they can't move their eyes because they are too big, and that their ears are slanted for better focused hearing. Also learning about how you can tell how an animal eats and if their hearing is more dominant than their sight and vice versa. I sure do love me some nature!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Northwest Trek

      Northwest Trek is a Wildlife Park in Eatonville, Washington that houses a variety of northwest mammals. The park is over 700 acres, and the tram tour takes guests throgh over 400 acres of land in which American Bison, Roosevelt Elk, North American Moose, Black-tailed Deer, Mountain Goats, Bighorn Sheep, and Trumpeter Swan are able to roam free. Other animals in the park include Grizzly Bears, Black Bears, Red Fox, Gray Wolves, Coyotes, Barn Owls, Beaver, Fishers, Raccoons, Wolverines, Cougars, Skunks, Bobcats, Snowy Owls, Lynx, Turkey Vulture, River Otters, and even a Badger. The only animals we were unable to see were the bears, which were off exhibit. Inside the Cheney Family Discovery Center we also saw a few reptiles, including a Red-legged frog, Gopher snake, Western toad, and Rubber boa.


      I learned some unique facts about a few of the animals during the field trip. I most enjoyed hearing about the predatory birds. Turkey vultures start out with feathers on their heads, but lose them over time due to sticking their heads into bacteria-ridden carcasses. The shape of a barn owls head is actually to help them take in sounds and locate where they are coming from.

      Overall, the field trip was great. I loved getting to see so many great Northwest species up close.

 

NW Trek

The field trip to NW Trek was by far the most fun field trip so far. I had a great time and also learned a TON of info about different species of animals. It was really cool to go on the tram and see the animals in their natural habitat, although most of them were just sleeping. My favorite animal was probably the skunk, she was adorable! Although it is really hard to pick favorites.


I think that one of the most interesting things I learned would have to be that owl's eyes touch the back of their skull, because of this, they can't move them and have to rely on precise head movements to track their prey. This is why owls adapted to be able to move their heads at such crazy angles. I was also interested in how much you could tell about an animal just by looking at its skull. Overall, the field trip was a lot of fun and I learn a ton about animals that I previously did not know.