‘Been There, Done That!’

enter, children’s book author, Jen Funk Weber will share her insights on reading animal tracks. Weber has many years of wilderness exploration under her belt, observing Alaskan wildlife. She will bring her life experience and knowledge from her new book, “Been There, Done That!”

Weber’s book is a well-received guide to introducing children to the hidden world around them by learning about animal tracks and other impressions made. By learning what to look for and what signs that tracks left behind mean, children’s eyes can open to the possibilities and connections of nature beginning their journey to appreciation and education.

The all-ages program gives children and even adults the chance to learn how to read animal signs, listen to an expert on the matter, hear a reading from the book, and even buy an autographed copy. Weber will light up the room with slides of her travels, showing various pictures of animals and their traces. She will ask the children to try to identify the etches in nature and at the end, every one will “make their mark” and design their own impression on paper, however they like.

Weber notes that like the “twist” ending of the book, where a fox discovers human children tracks — leaving their own mark at the end is her hope for them to think about what impact they leave in their environment.

As an educator, Weber designed her book with the intention to expand beyond cover and offers worksheets and lesson plans for schools to utilize. Weber is known for puzzles and loves to craft up activities for eager minds.

The illustrator for “Been There, Done That!” Andrea Gabriel was drawn to the project, following her love for science and wildlife. Gabriel has an affinity and focus for illustrating animals so her skill set and inquisitive mind meshed comfortably with the aims of “Been There, Done That!”

“My father was a wildlife biologist who spent a lot of time showing me animal signs in the woods,” Gabriel says. “I grew up playing in the woods,” she says.

She says that she fell in love with Alaska for all the open space, wildlife, and seasonal lifestyle, admitting to loving the dark of winter. Weber claims as some who is busy all day in the sun during summer, the winter is a time to rest and write and unwind her creativity – crafting through the cold and dark.

Like Weber and Gabriel, you can answer the call to the wild this Saturday at 2pm. The “Been There, Done That!” event is free to get in with $5 parking for non-members at the Eagle River Nature Center.