GREENVILLE -- Maine Audubon is hosting a trip to track Canada lynx in northern Maine from Friday, January 26 to Sunday, January 28.

Resembling a very large domestic cat, the Canada lynx has a mottled gray coat, prominent ear tufts, a short tail, long legs, and large, furry feet to travel over snow.

The species is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, and Maine is the only state in the East where it exists.

Led by Mark McCollough, endangered species biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Laura Sebastianelli, ecologist and professional wildlife tracker, trip participants will travel by snowshoe into lynx habitat, looking for tracks and other clues wildlife leave behind. The group will also learn about lynx and other North Woods species, including pine marten and snowshoe hare.

Participants should be in good physical shape and comfortable walking and snowshoeing in heavily wooded terrain.

The trip is $395 for Maine Audubon members, $425 for nonmembers. Price includes lodging and meals at the Evergreen Lodge in Greenville.

Advance registration is necessary; to register, call at (207) 781-2330, ext. 215.

This fall, the federal government denied protections that Canada lynx need to survive in Maine. Maine Audubon is calling for those protections to be instated so lynx do not become extinct in the state.

For more information on Maine Audubon programs and trips, visit www.maineaudubon.org.

Maine Audubon works to conserve Maine's wildlife and wildlife habitat by engaging people of all ages in education, conservation and action.