David Anthony Martin
This is the sixtieth in a series of articles from the staff of the Nature & Wildlife Discovery Center that will provide resources and outdoor activity ideas for students and families. The public can help the nonprofit NWDC get through this challenging time by making a donation at https://hikeandlearn.org/donate/. Join NWDC for guided hikes and other exciting nature programs listed here: https://hikeandlearn.org/programs-and-events/.
The first time I encountered a ringtail was not out in the woods, it was in my home. I was sick and had awakened in the night with a fever, and as I entered the kitchen, there it was, sitting on the kitchen counter like some fey creature, head cocked curiously, large dark eyes staring at me nearly unblinking. I thought for a moment it must be the fever making me hallucinate. I was a bit shocked as I had never encountered them before and had no idea that they were a part of the local ecosystem. This beautiful and exotic creature w