Brian Kertson knows a lot about cougars.
He has 11 years experience studying cougars in the Cascades and can tell you how big they get, how many kittens they have, how long they live in the wild, their favorite foods and also teach you how to identify the signs of a cougar in the woods.
You will learn all this and more at the program “Cougars” presented by the Adopt A Stream Center on Thursday.
Also, you will get to see how good a trained observer you are when Kerston shows you several “deep forest” photos and you will have to find the cougar in the picture. The first one to meet the challenge will receive an Adopt A Stream Foundation poster of sockeye salmon.
Kerston will also dispel most of the myths about cougars. There’s a lot of misinformation and myth surrounding these secretive cats, a prime predator of the Pacific Northwest forests.
Kerston will tell visitors about cougar ecology, behavior and management, and whether or not they prowl around in the suburbs.
Kerston is currently studying the potential influences of expanding housing developments on cougar-human interaction in Western Washington.
With the weather warming and hiking season not far behind, you’ll want to know more about cougars as you head into their habitat. You probably won’t see a cougar but you’ll want to know if one might be around.
“Cougars” begins at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Northwest Stream Center, McCollum Park, 600 128th St. SE, Everett.
“Cougars” is geared for sixth-graders and above. Call 425-316-8592 to reserve seats. The cost is $5 for Adopt A Stream Foundation members $5; $7 for nonmembers. For more information on this and other shows go to www.streamkeeper.org.
Herald staff
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