(Are you coming to this page to connect to MapIt!? Use this link: The Natural Diversity Information Source's MapIt!)

Have you ever moved into a new home in a new city? Or just changed schools? It wasn't always easy, was it? You had to learn your way around a new neighborhood, make new friends, and find out where to go to do all of the ordinary things you have always done. You had to learn all about your new environment, your new 'habitat'. 

Imagine if you were a moose instead of a person! Do you think it would be easier for a moose to adjust to different surroundings? What would a moose have to learn? How would you answer these questions?

The Division of Wildlife (DOW) recently moved some moose from their homes in Utah to an area near Grand Junction, Colorado, on the Grand Mesa. (To learn why, read about the Moose Reintroduction Program.) Two of these moose were fitted with 'radio' collars that transmit signals to an earth-orbiting satellite. (And, no, the radio collars don't play MP3s!) The satellite receives these signals (which contain information about the moose's changing locations), then sends them back to the DOW.

The location information obtained from the radio collar signals can be 'plotted' on maps of various kinds. Plotting, and the type of map that is used, can reveal a lot about what the moose are doing, what they might be eating, how far they move in a day or week, and much more.

You're invited to follow along and 'track' these moose, every week. And, along the way, we'll help you learn more about them and their new neighborhood. 

Links to the most recent location information for both moose will be posted here every week as PDF files, looking similar to the image to the right. Plotting of coordinates—tracking the moose's movements—can be done with any map that displays latitude and longitude. For online, interactive mapping, try the Natural Diversity Information Source's MapIt! program. An introduction and beginning guide for using MapIt! with this moose tracking project is provided here.

You will also be asked questions, each week, about the moose that you can answer using your mapping skills. These will be found at the bottom of this page, and answers will be posted, too, so you can check your work.

Teachers—if you would like to make this a class activity, where, for example, the class maintains a map of the moose's travels, the most suitable format would be topological. They can be purchased wherever U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) maps are sold, usually larger hunting and camping supply stores. You would need the Elk Knob, Electric Mountain, Bull Mountain, and Spruce Mountain quadrangles.

This moose tracking activity is made possible, in part, through the generosity of Safari Club International.

Travelin' Moose is a PDF file, about 2.25 MB. Download time over a 56Kb modem (dial-up) is about five minutes.

Answer #2 for Week 7: You were asked to plot every other coordinate for moose #2 on a new map, then asked "What was the "range" of moose #2 during Week 7?" (Hint: you may have had to look up the meaning of "range" when it's used in talking about animals.) The answer is: Moose #2, during Week 7, moved over a range of approximately 24 1/2 square miles. 

Answer #1 for Week 6:  The question was—What is the approximate elevation (or altitude) in which the moose are spending most of their time? In feet? In meters? (Hint—you may need to zoom in.) The answer is: Both moose are moving around at about 8200 to 8500 feet in altitude. That's approximately 2500 to 2600 meters. (What's one reason for using meters to measure distance instead of feet?)

Answer #2 for Week 6: The questions was—In what Game Management Unit are the moose? The answer is: 521.

See a map of Week 6 with coordinates for both moose plotted.