Special NIC classes offered this winter

North Idaho College at Sandpoint is offering an “Animal Tracking and Sign Interpretation” class as well as “Backyard Beekeeping” in January.

“Animal Tracking and Sign Interpretation” taught by wilderness expert and author Brian Baxter will be held Saturday, Jan. 13, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Class will meet in the south parking lot of the NIC at Sandpoint Center at 102 S. Euclid St.

Learn to decipher the subtle clues that wildlife leave behind in the form of trails, prints, rubs, hair, smells and behaviors as they silently creep through the woods, fields, and wetlands. In this one-day, field-oriented class, students will learn from an experienced wildlife researcher on how to key into habitat to search, discover and interpret signs of wildlife. With degrees in both forestry and wildlife biology, instructor Brian Baxter has more than 40 years in the field and delivers an informative and fun lesson that requires a 2-mile long moderate hike. The fee is $49.

“Backyard Beekeeping” will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Thursdays Jan. 18, 25, and Feb. 1, at the NIC at Sandpoint Center at 102 S. Euclid. These three lecture-style classes will cover the fundamentals of beekeeping, year-round hive management, and products of the beehive. The fee is $42.

To register for either class, contact the NIC Workforce Training Center at 208-769-3333 or request more information at workforcetraining@nic.edu or visit nic.edu/wtc.