Walking in the winter forest
#1How to find Eurasian red squirrel

Today, along Lake Akan, where temperatures are reaching below 0 degrees celcius, it's beginning to look a lot more like winter.

The days are quiet and peaceful as it is not the high season of the area. Mt. Akan, which stands on the west side of Lake Akan, is covered in snow and appears to be well into winter.

With winter just around the corner, we would like to introduce you to a unique way to enjoy walking through the forest on the Bokke walking trail, which we have introduced several times on this webpage.



▼Click here for the train during summer time

URL: https://www.kamuylumina.jp/en/sp/enjoy/enjoy-1258/

Enjoy walking through the forest while feeling the changes in the air from autumn to winter in nature using your senses.

The Bokke walking trail is a nice nature walking course that is approximately 1.5 km in length and takes about 45 minutes to walk.

There are two entrances, one next to the Akankohan Eco-Museum Center and the other next to the sightseeing boat pier on the lakeside, so you can enjoy the whole trip no matter which way you start.

*For those who would like to enjoy a longer course, there is also the "`Mori no Komichi" course!



Please refer to the photo for a detailed map.

When you step into the forest from the side of the Ecomuseum Center, you'll feel like you're suddenly surrounded by nature in comparison to the townside of lake Akan.

Trees typical of the Akan forest, such as Sakhalin fir, Scots fir, Red spruce, and Katsura, welcome you in this trail.

With the exception of evergreen trees, most of the trees have shed their leaves in preparation for the winter, and light enters through the gaps, making the forest bright during the day.

Winter light warmly illuminates the forest and makes you feel grateful for the sun. Perhaps it's a feeling unique to cold regions.
There were ice particles scattered on the fallen leaves, and pillars of frost were forming here and there... Signs of winter are hidden everywhere.

In such a forest, make use of all your five senses and sharpen your senses to notice the small changes around you. By doing so, you will be able to notice sounds, smells, and signs of animals that you would otherwise be unaware of.

How to find Eurasian red squirrel

The "Eurasian red squirrel" is a resident of this forest and roams freely throughout the forest.

In order to find a squirrel that moves around a lot, you must first stop yourself.

If you listen carefully, you can hear the sound of gnawing on nuts and the sound of animals running through the trees, shaking them.

If you look in the direction of the sound, you may notice bits of a nut being chewed or the shaking of plants where it has moved.
If you can find them that far, they should be there soon!

Sometimes you'll see them alone stuffing its mouth with nuts, and other times you'll see two of them running after eachother.

Before winter, squirrels seem to store food in the ground in preparation for when food is scarce.

The winter before, in a forest covered with deep snow, I saw them energetically running around on the snow and digging in the ground, so I guess they were digging up the food they had stored.

Sometimes those seeds won't be found until snow melts down, which will grow and be part of forest instead of being food for squirrel.