Red Trail

Pileated Woodpecker

Start your walk at the Education Building, walking north along the paved trail toward the field.

Introduction to a Wildlife Habitat Walk

The environment in which an animal lives is called its HABITAT. To survive, wildlife must have access to four basic habitat elements—food, shelter, water, and space, and they must be in an arrangement suited to their range. Each species of wildlife has its own set of specific requirements that may vary by season.

Habitat loss is the No. 1 threat to wildlife today. As the human population grows and spreads into rural areas, the landscape is increasingly altered in ways that render it barren for wildlife. Creating wildlife habitat in your own backyard will help, and you will see some ideas for this at the next stop. But this alone cannot replace habitat in its natural state.

To preserve native wildlife, we must work to preserve their habitat.

Begin your walk