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Tracking Club

Following the trail of mystery

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"The first track is the end of a string. At the far end, a being is moving; a mystery, dropping a hint about itself every so many feet, telling you more about itself until you can almost see it, even before you come to it. The mystery reveals itself slowly, track by track, giving its genealogy early to coax you in. Further on, it will tell you the intimate details of its life and work, until you know the maker of the track like a lifelong friend."

- Tom Brown Jr.

Tracking Club

Ages: All

Monthly:  Sat 9am-12:30pm

Check for specific dates below

Location: 697 Tinney Road,

                Mount Holly, VT

Cost: Free

Upcoming Dates

Sept 27th

NOTE: During winter the WOW parking area is not plowed! Please drive down and park at the red garage at the end of the drive

Tracking Club is created with the intention to pass on tracking knowledge and wisdom to others. Beginner and expert trackers are welcome in this informal community learning setting. Bring your experience, questions, field guides and enthusiasm for a wandering exploration in search of tracks and sign. This gathering is intended to help you practice tracking, share knowledge, deepen into place, and keep this skill alive for future generations. 

- Get outside, breathe fresh air, and move your body!

- Meet other people in the community!

- Learn about animals and the natural world!

There is no cost or registration process. Simply show up at 8:45 and we'll begin our day at 9:00am. Please arrive prepared for a morning in the woods, including water, snacks, layers, appropriate footwear (we will sometimes be going into muddy terrain) and anything else you may want to bring (journal, binoculars, field guide etc.)

Please reach out with any questions

wildernessoutdoorwisdom@gmail.com

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Tracking wildlife is an amazing skill and art that attracts all kinds of people across the globe. Rose found her way into the tracking community and continued in large part because of the culture that comes through the CyberTracker lineage.

 

Tracking wildlife is like learning a new language that lets you read the stories of the landscape, know what animals are present and always has a new story to feed you! The process is really a lot about learning "how to see" so that subtle shapes, lines, textures, and negative space begin to make sense as toes, heal pads, nails that begins to tell you grey fox, bobcat or coyote. Over time these begin to whisper other clues like "water source ahead", "apples nearby" etc. or that this is prime fisher cat habitat. Sometimes we even catch dramatic stories of predator/ prey chases, deaths and new births, migrations, habitat loss, and behaviors in extreme conditions like droughts and flooding. 

 

Noticing these patterns puts us in direct relationship with the land and allows us to listen. Listening is a radical act in these time of doing, fixing, innovating, altering the environment and seeking experts to tell us how to lessen our impact on the land. 

There are other benefits to wildlife tracking that follow us out of the field that we can apply directly to our lives. Just as in the field, our own inner worlds can have clear tracks and obscure ones. There may be moments when we are able to see things in our life clearly and other times we really need to observe, crouch down and look intently for the patterns to become clear. Perhaps there are places in our lives we "think we know" but actually we have made an assumption about a situation, person or outcome. Tracking gives you a space to slow down, observe, notice patterns and ask questions.

The best part about the culture is that everyone who shows up has something to contribute no matter how experienced or inexperienced. ​Beginners often ask really good questions that those with more knowledge overlook. People see and notice different aspects of the track or the landscape that adds a richness to discussion. Everyone is free to learn at their own pace.

 

There is a saying in the tracking culture that if you go tracking alone you are either always right, or ... always wrong. The track becomes what ever you say it is. You might have missed that dropped down 5th toe characteristic of otter for example. So come join us to help us stay true to the story of the land and the spirit of tracking. 

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Wilderness Outdoor Wisdom School

Mount Holly, Vermont

wildernessoutdoorwisdom@gmail.com

(802) 353-6808

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Bear Tracks, Front and Hind
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