Nearly 50 people learn about the science of wildlife scat, clues for ID during Aug. 19 Floating Classroom

Families, friends and even teammates from one of the Little League World Series teams (Carribean) learned about wildlife scat and the important ecological role it plays both locally and abroad, what happens when there is too much poop in our ecosystem and enjoyed a hands-on activity on learning clues to identifying wildlife from the scat it leaves behind during the Aug. 19 Floating Classroom aboard the Hiawatha Paddleboat near Williamsport.

The program included an overview on the lower level inspired by the new youth educational book Scat: The Incredible Science of Wildlife Poop by Anita Sanchez. Led by Riverkeeper John Zaktansky, participants discussed differences in digestive systems, answering trivia about poop-related vocabulary and delved into some unique case studies on how animal poop has played key ecological roles.

This included the blue whale-krill-phytoplankton relationship where blue whale waste helps feed phytoplankton, how earthworms are used to revitalize fields that are lacking resources, fruit bats were used to reseed forests in southeast Mexico devastated by wildfires and other poop-related success stories. The group then looked at the issues caused by too much waste, nutrient overload and algae blooms and how that can negatively impact an ecosystem. 

The upper-level presentation, led by Vernal School Environmental Education Partnership Program Supervisor Marissa Crames, focused on dietary differences between herbivores vs. carnivores and identifying wildlife by the scat it leaves behind using various clues, including what is in the scat. 

The presentation centered around an interactive experience using and dissecting wildlife "scat cookies" creatively baked by former Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association board President and professional caterer Kathy Snavely, of Kathy's Cuisine.  

Only four more Floating Classroom programs remain for the 2025 season. Check out the lineup and get tickets here.

Check out photos from the Aug. 19 Scatology 101 program here: