While winter weather may keep ISU students cooped up inside, Story County wildlife remains active outdoors.

The second of three seasonal Happy Trails Hikes will take place at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at McFarland Park. There is a $2 fee to attend the hour-and-a-half hike.

Nan Geske, one of three naturalists on the Story County Conservation Board, said there is plenty to see at the park during the winter months.

“There are a lot of animals that are still active,” said Geske, who will lead visitors on the hike. “If there is snow on the ground, then we can do a lot of tracking.”

Animal tracks in the snow allow for identification of the diverse animals at the park, she said. When followed, the tracks can lead to inhabited and uninhabited animal dens. Many people come to the wildlife parks just to see the different tracks made by the animals.

“The woods are more open — there’s a lot to see,” Geske said.

Steve Lekwa, director of the conservation board, said McFarland Park’s 200 acres are devoted to natural wildlife and vegetation.

“McFarland Park is a natural history theme park,” he said. “We have trails featuring native woodlands, stream ecosystems and prairie reconstructions.”

Jerry Keys, environmental education coordinator for the conservation board, said the seasonal hike series is just one of myriad educational programs offered by the conservation staff.

Keys said his department divides programs into categories for schools, for the general public and for requests by area organizations.

“In an average year, we do about 800 educational programs and create about 25,000 contacts,” he said.

Lekwa said the bulk of the educational outreach focuses on elementary students, although there are opportunities for people of all ages.

“We do get a lot of college participation in our volunteer activities, especially during the spring,” Lekwa said. Veishea activities contribute to the spring volunteer surge, he said.

The conservation board also offers internships for students with various majors in addition to volunteer opportunities, Lekwa said.

“We manage about 2,700 acres of public use lands,” he said.

The Happy Trails Hike series is co-sponsored by the Ames Park and Recreation Department, Geske said.

“We have some compatible goals,” she said. “We want people to get out and see the park and animals, and they are trying to get people out to exercise.”

Geske said the range of plants and animals she will highlight is far greater than is usually found in urban areas, like Ames.

“We have a bird blind where we can see goldfinches and woodpeckers and chickadees. There are pheasants, deer, a lot of wild turkeys and plenty of other things,” she said.

“There’s plenty of life throughout the park during winter time.”

Keys said there are benefits for everyone who partakes in the conservation board’s offerings.

“For college students, it gives you a chance just to unwind,” he said. “Obviously, it gives you a better appreciation of parks and conservation.”

Lekwa also cited the importance of involvement with nature activities like the hike.

“It can be hard to keep people concerned [about the environment] when things look pretty good,” he said.

“Getting out and seeing all that’s out there prompts us to protect it.”