Making Tracks

About a month ago, The Colonel and I helped with a county program for children in one of the local libraries. We dressed up in our khaki shorts, khaki shirts, hiking boots and boonie hats. The program was about the Skunk Ape (Florida's Bigfoot).

The kids learned about Skunk Apes and then got to do craft projects that had a Skunk Ape theme. They were able to color a picture of a Skunk Ape (a friendly looking one) and then they made a Skunk Ape footprint in some modeling clay that would air-harden in a couple of days. The plastic feet (we had six of them) were made by a 3-D printer and were roughly 5 inches long and the kids took turns pressing them into the clay.

The Colonel portrayed Professor William "Wild Bill" Pike, a Cryptozoologist (one who studies hidden animals).

The Colonel as "Wild Bill" in the local newspaper

He talked to the kids about what a Cryptozoologist is and what they do. He held up a casting (we will touch on that later) of a Skunk Ape's footprint and told the kids where and how the cast was made.

The kids had a great time. I think their parents and grandparents did too. I know we did. We got a lot done in the one-hour program.

Now, I know you are curious about that Skunk Ape footprint casting that The Colonel is holding up in the picture above. It looks awesome and authentic doesn't it (as far as we know...I have never seen a real one...yet...have you)?

Knowing that we had the Skunk Ape program to work, a few weeks prior, The Colonel and I worked on a Skunk ape foot to cast. I drew it out on wood and The Colonel cut it out. He used putty to build up the ball, heal and toes of the foot. He then sanded it smooth and spray painted it.

We took our foot out to our piece of land in the country to make the casting. 

We had packed the truck bed with a shovel, buckets of water, some Plaster of Paris and our rubber boots. It had rained a day or so earlier and the sandy soil would be perfect for a casting. 

The Colonel prepped the casting site.

Then he pressed the wooden foot into the sandy soil.

Once the foot was removed from the soil and a print was left behind, it was time to mix the plaster and fill the print.

We walked around and did some brush clearing on our country lot as the plaster was curing. Finally, it was time to dig out the casting.

Once we returned home with the Skunk Ape footprint casting, The Colonel cleaned it up.

The casting was a very integral part of the program for the kids. The Colonel and I had a fun time creating it...what lengths we go to make the county programs more interesting and fun for the kids (and us too).