A Deer Skull Preserved

A white-tailed doe deer skull preserved by yours truly. (8/26/14)

There are some discoveries than can be made participating in high school cross-country that are just not likely to be found in other more traditional fall sports such as football or swimming. Chief among those would be finding decomposing animal remains on the field of play.

Each cross-country preseason, the student-athletes and coaches, travel to the courses we will be competing on during the regular season. Last Tuesday, while running with members of the girls team, we found ourselves slightly off course at Mendon Ponds Park, and came across the remains of a decomposing deer carcass. Half-joking, I told the girls I would be coming back later to retrieve the bones. Though it took me a few days, this past weekend, while on an early morning bottle return run, I drove back to Mendon and, searched back through the trails we had run earlier in the week.

The doe remains as we came across them. (8/23/14)

White tail deer are very common in upstate New York; I've even seen them within the Rochester city limits running down Monroe Avenue. The irony was not very subtle that when I walked along the trees looking for the trail head, I came across a deer quietly watching me from four feet deep in to the woods. After inadvertently startling the watcher away, I was fortunate enough to once again happen across the site where the bones lay. Leaving the spine and other mystery bones behind, I respectfully retrieved the doe deer skull and carefully placed it in a plastic shopping bag for transport. (Unfortunately the jaw bone was not in the general vicinity.) NOTE: While I realize that it is illegal in some states, such as Iowa, to take "live specimens" from public parks, I found nothing online regarding the collection of wildlife remains in New York state.

The skull--sans jawbone--as it lay just off the trail. (8/23/14)

I had two thoughts as I drove home. Firstly, I contemplated whether I had somehow been disrespectful to the animal that had passed and whose skull I now carried in the trunk of my vehicle. At that point I quietly promised myself to move forward in a mindful manner, conscious that the activity I was embarking on was not without cost.

My second thought was the activity I thought to engage in: to determine the most practical way to preserve the skull, my thinking being that it would be an interesting display piece in my classroom. In the practices that followed, our engagement with the remains had now become part of an interesting cross-country anecdote. I am by no means a scientist and this post should not be read as a set of how-to directions (though I frame it just that way), but I do often pick up odd activities just to see where they go, and this is just the most recent flight of fancy. In a way, it relates back to a previous one.

A number of years ago I took the hunting gun safety certification course because it seemed (and was interesting). One reason I've never pursued the hobby is the fear that I might actually (through luck rather than skill) kill something and would then be obligated to field dress it. One benefit of finding this gift-wrapped (and meat free) skull on the cross-country trail was the opportunity to look into the preservation of animal skulls and to give it a go...

In its original condition at the bottom of a bucket. (8/23/14)

Thanks to the Internet, the answer to the questions of "How to Preserve a Skull" was easily answered in six easy steps, giving me some basic guidelines for my little weekend project. If Steps 1, "Remove all flesh from inside and outside of the skull using one of several methods," and 2, "Dry the skull," had not already been well-handled by Mother Nature, the remains would still be in the park decomposing. The head did not require water maceration or the use of flesh eating bugs (two possible recommended approaches); it had clearly been laying at rest for a lengthy period of time. The top of the skull already had a bleached appearance due to exposure to the elements, though the underside that had been laying on the ground, including the teeth, was fairly stained.

A quick, cleansing boil. (8/23/14)

Despite the excellent condition of the skull immediately lifted from the trail, there were few odd matted strands of fur remaining, as well as small hairs that had yet to be picked out. This required a Step 2b not mentioned in the written portion of the linked page but is in the Youtube video near the end. Before repeating Step 2, to ease the separation of the remains from the skull, I placed it in boiling water to set for a short time. Using an old toothbrush, I carefully scrubbed in the open areas, careful not to disrupt the fairly intact nasal cartilage. Step 2b (which is not mentioned in the written portion of the linked page but is in the Youtube video near the end).

All the goodies necessary for a 24 hour hydrogen peroxide bath. (8/23/14)

Boiled, gently scrubbed and ready for "bleaching." (8/23/14)

Step 3 is "Bleach the skull," which oddly, based on other reading, would be a mistake. The goal is to give it a whitened appearance, but to use regular bleach would cause the bone to weaken and can lead to cracked teeth. I let the skull soak in 3% solution hydrogen peroxide for 24 hours, turning it occasionally to keep as much of it submerged as possible. It was still bubbling a little when I rinsed the skull of the next morning. I did not want to the skull to look artificial so I did not allow it to bleach completely white. My intention was to have the final preserved skull maintain the yellow-ish hue of natural bone. As a result of both boiling and soaking in hydrogen peroxide, the teeth also have a tendency to drop out. This happened and, as suggested, I glued them back (Steps 4 and 5 combined).

The first of two coats of polyurethane semi-gloss lacquer is applied. (8/24/14)

The last step was the application of a polyurethane lacquer to preserve the skull. The image above was taken on the picnic table in the sunshine, which accounts for it's clean white look. The photo the top of the post is the final product which I'm glad to report did maintain it's natural (thought thankfully cleaner) look. Though superficial I am hopeful that the presence of this artifact will serve as some sort of reminder... of just what, I have yet to fully process.

Tomorrow, as I continue setting up my classroom for the start of a new school year next week, I will bring the skull to work. Among the books, team photos and artificial crows it is sure to give students, as well as student-athletes, (and myself) something to talk and think about.

Roadie: Mendon Ponds Park

 The leaves are just starting to turn at Mendon Ponds Park. (9/29/13)

My wife and I took a short hike at Mendon Ponds Park this morning. It was a beautiful fall day, and while we had hoped to catch more birds at play, we did come across some other creatures that were kind enough to pose (sort of) for us.

Grasshopper. (9/29/13)

Garter snake 1. (9/29/13)

Garter snake 2. (9/29/13)

A trail sign in need of an Eagle Scout candidate. (9/29/13)

Black-capped Chickadee. (9/29/13)

Two Black-capped chickadees. (9/29/13)

Tufted Titmouse. (9/29/13)

The sign said "Look Up Point" and that's what we did. (9/29/13)

Garter snake 3!? (9/29/13)

Another reminder of the autumnal hues on the horizon. (9/29/13)

Roadie: Hundred Acre Pond

Canada geese on the western bank of Hundred Acre Pond. (7/9/13)

Today's short trip out to Mendon Ponds Park with my son son, Jack (who needed to do a 90 minute run on trails) was marked more by what I saw and did not photograph, then by what I did and could manage to capture on "film." While Jack put his training mileage in, I did some light hiking in the area around the pond hoping to catch either some interesting birds, or common ones doing interesting things. Though neither objective was met, it was relaxing listening to the birds and attempting to identify them by their calls.

Apparently not used to being in such close proximity to humans,
the geese take off for the safety of the lily pads. (7/9/13)

Contrary to what the images accompanying this post would suggest, during my short time in the wooded area to the north of Hundred Acre Pond, I did have the opportunity to briefly track a rather large male Pileated Woodpecker.

... but have returned an hour later when I make my way back out through the wooded area. (7/9/13)

While I followed, and visually identified him in the tree tops, the flitted quickly away so I was unable to take his picture. Additionally there were the usual cast of characters: Red-Winged Blackbird (among the reeds as was the case the other day at Braddock Bay Park), American Robins and Black-capped Chickadees.

Muddy, soft trails make for great running and slippery walking. (7/9/13)

Many of the worn trails around the pond (and through the nearby wooded areas) are familair to me as a result of my own ancient trail running escapades and those of my student-athletes who compete on one of two course in Mendon Ponds Park.  As was the case this morning, I am always happy to report that there were a number of adults and children in the park bicycling, running and walking their pets.

This is about as "technical" as high school cross-country courses get around here. (7/9/13)

Despite not getting the pictures I had hoped, my thirst for quiet was satiated and I did get to see (and listen to) some beautiful local birds, whose paths I am sure to cross again.

My Stepson, Eagle Scout

The best of the (weak) bunch.

Last week, my stepson saw the culmination of his hard work these past few years, and certainly last summer, when he was given his Boy Scout Eagle at a troop dinner. This past summer he, I and other friends and family members helped design and build a series of walking trails at a local Equicenter which services the disabled. This was the Eagle Project that would serve as his last activity prior to submitting the paperwork and engaging in the review process that would hopefully lead to his being awarded an Eagle.



Gregory and his Troop leader, who also assisted in the trail building.

Eagle Scout Project Before & After

Before, Trail 1 (8/19/12).

Despite the weirdly inconsistent shading/coloring of these pictures, I assure you these are the same trail area, just at different points. Those captioned as "Before" were taken when Greg and I went to Scout the site a week prior, and the "After" shots, were taken, well... after the completion of the Scout Eagle Project.

Trail 1 was designed to be an S-shaped walking path. While working on it the first day, the decision was made to add a third access path, so looking at the path from the northern end gave it more of a "J" shape. Greg opted to reuse the downed tree trunks and larger branches to border/edge this trail.

Before, Trail 1 (8/19/12)

Before, Trail 1 (8/19/12).

After, Trail 1 (8/26/12).

After, Trail 1 (8/26/12).

Trail 2 was simply a straight-on access path connecting two riding areas of the Equicenter. This path was lined with stones excavated from what would eventually be groomed to act as the trail heads during the first day of work.



Before, Trail 2 (8/19/12).

After, Trail 2 (8/26/12).

My sense was that those of us who assisted in completing the project felt very satisfied with the final product and proud of having been part of the project. I had hoped to do some volunteering during my summer break, and fro myself, this was a quality way to meet this desire.

Next: after completing the necessary paperwork, calculating the volunteers groups cumulative hours of service, and getting all the proper signatures, sometime later this fall, at a Boy Scout Court of Honor, Greg will receive his Eagle Scout Award!

Eagle Scout Project, Day 2

A sign of the time (and project) outside the Equicenter.

Sunday's two hour shift went by very quickly as all that was left to complete were the small touches that would make the trails accessible and safe. There were exposed roots to pull, dirt to shovel, and areas to be even more carefully leveled.

With five boys (and Greg's mother. father and myself, too) we made short work of the remainder of the Eagle Service Project following the exhaustive five hours put in the previous day. When Greg and I were driving the Gator back to the garage, I asked if he felt relieved that it had finally been completed. "It hasn't really sunk in yet," he replied," it probably won't until I get my Eagle badge."

The crew extraxcting even MORE small exposed roots.

Another fine day driving the Gator between digging... #Sorrynotsorry

Filling divots and uneven sections of the trail.

Probably appropriate to take at least one pic of horses at the Equicenter!

Coming soon: before and after shots of both the trails!

Eagle Scout Project, Day 1

A week-and-a-half prior, assessing one area to be "trail blazed" (8/13/12).

Today was the first of two days that my stepson, Greg, has scheduled this weekend to complete his Boy Scout Eagle Project. As previously posted about, the plan is to clear two walking/riding trails at the Equicenter, in Mendon, New York. The project entails building a trail connecting two parallel walking trails, as well as a second single-lane trail. The purpose of both is to improve access for clients at Equicenter, a local not-for-profit organization offers therapeutic riding sessions and equine facilitated learning (EFL) for mentally, physically and emotionally challenged children and adults.

Water, fruit, shovels, rakes, and other necessities are loaded onto the Gator.

For the first day, Greg had planned on having the crew there from 1-6 in the afternoon. With two trails to clear, it seemed easily like a two day job. Greg was able to enlist the support quite a few willing assistants, including a few who could use very necessary power equipment to assist. The site was about 800 meters into the facility, so we loaded up the Gator to transport most of it. Fortunately for me, I happened to be with Greg during his walk though so (as an adult) was made the "Gator driver;" a job that as the day grew warmer offered a little breezy relief from the heat.

The initial clearing of large debris took longer than anticipated.

While the main project site was an extensive s-shaped path (10' in from trail head, 30' long, 10' out to parallel walkway) joining two parallel walking trails, as work was being done in most of the images here, the same activities were being carried on at a second location about thirty meters away. The second trail was simple a straight connecting path, but the same challenges (thick brush, trees, embedded stones, etc.) were considerations that still needed to be addressed.

The dedicated support of other Boy Scouts was key to making progress.

One of the troop's leaders is a forester could assist with downing trees and brush.

Having a professional volunteer to cut larger brush and trees proved very valuable.

The large embedded stones at the opening of the second trail proved a challenge;
but not one that couldn't be handled by the Scouts!

Greg's stepbrother (my son, Jack) and father, Steve, also came out to aid with the project!

There was no shortage of carrying to be done, at least until the path was
cleared enough to bring the Gator in for loading.

Progress? Yes. Near completion? Uh... not even close!

After about three hours, the paths began to take on a more "trail like" appearance. While one might suppose that the hard part was done, remembering "the devil is in the details" brought the realization that all aspects of the project held it's own challenges. If it was clearing rocks and trees for the "large cut" at the onset, the middle portion included quite a bit of root removal, hanging vine clearing and general maintenance. We had yet to begin the detail work that would likely result in a return the next day.

A teammate of Greg's from the school Crew team also came to offer his expertise.

Removal of root work that could harm the horse's who would be
walking the trails made for some interesting digging.

Big stump!

A third opening is made on the s-shaped trail one.

Given the task of working together the Scouts made huge progress!

What isn't visible in this 2D image is the uneven nature of the trail.

One of MANY dirt drops in our future over two days.

Earlier in the day, one of the employees of the Equicenter, who was also a Boy Scout, assisted us by driving tractor loads of dirt to the site for use in evening the trails out. For the final three hours however, we needed to load the Gator by shovel. The dirt which had been delivered earlier seemed easily obtainable until we realized the "dirt" was actually the side of a large hill that had hardened over the course of years. Excavating the dirt for transport with a tractor was a challenge, and doing so with shovels proved a real pain the butt. Of course, there is more of this to look forward to, tomorrow when we return for day two!

Felled trees are used to border trail one.

To be continued concluded tomorrow...

Though much was accomplished on both trails during the first day, there remains some important detail work to be addressed on day two. Rather than felled trees such as those used border and frame trail one on day one, we will used rocks to border the second trail. There is also some significant leveling to be done, which will require the transport, spreading and leveling of dirt. This can be done only after the removal of exposed roots. The majority of the crew will be returning on Sunday to finish the job. With Greg's leadership, I'm confident we can avoid matching the five hour work day we put in today!