Bellingham WA Ecological Tracking

A field class on how to find track and sign on the Landscape

Ecological Tracking Field Class

A field class on how to find track and sign on the Landscape

Friday June 19th 9:00 - 3:30
(this is not an evaluation)

Instructors Marcus Reynerson, Mark Thompson & Kevin O’Malley

"Wildlife tracking and ecological context are so intertwined that it is hard to study one without studying the other. The ecological tracking class with South Sound Nature School help to bring the individual tracks of species to life on a broader landscape and gives much-needed context for where, when, and why animals use different spaces on the landscape. I highly recommend it for all interested in tracking."  Amanda Wildlife Biologist WA State

This class gave me so many ideas about how to find more tracks and sign:
-- planning what I wanted to find ahead of the day’s excursion
—consulting a map for landscape features prior to arrival and then scanning the area when ready to start
—thinking about how an animal would move across a landscape and for what purposes
—then moving away from thinking mode into be-the-animal mode. Where would I feel safe? How would I move?
—stopping to experience the track/sign location. What time of day was the animal here? What were the conditions? Jan - Avid Tracker & Naturalist

One - Day Wandering Field Exercise - This is a new approach to Wildlife Tracking. You will be wondering over the landscape with Marcus Reynerson & Kevin O’Malley. This is a workshop but more so to help participants break through some mental barriers and teaches you how to find wildlife tracks in the field. This combines Trailing & Track & Sign and really helps to hone in your ecological tracking skills. This course covers aspects of the Why? & the Where? in the Six Arts of Tracking. This will take a bit of physical shape for these adventures. This is not an evaluation but an exercise to find track in the wild.

Temperate Rainforest Ecosystem

A biome dominated by big leafed maple and douglas fir with its understory full of sward fern, mosses and lichen. It the perfect habitat for bears elk coyotes and weseals. It is a very wet place with lots of lakes and rivers. The temperate rainforest surrounds the Salish Sea where marine mammals and salmon are abundant. We are lucky to live and track and trail animals here in the PNW and if you live in a different ecosystem you are in for a real treat this place will draw you it its beauty.

Your instructor Marcus has had an affinity for the living world since childhood. He is a naturalist, educator, and photographer. He has worked in wilderness education, outdoor leadership, and conservation for numerous organizations and communities across North America. He is engaged in telling stories that bring to light and life, the complexity of humans living in the 21st century. Originally from Louisville, Marcus currently lives in the Snoqualmie Valley in Washington State, just east of Seattle, where he is the Lead Instructor for an internationally renowned environmental leadership immersion program for adults at the Wilderness Awareness School in Duvall, WA.Through this experience, you will grow a skillset in exploring the vast world of wildlife tracking. While we will certainly cover some of key fundamental themes, every tracking experience is unique, and we will go where the tracks take us.

Your Instructor Mark Thompson is a lifelong hunter and student of ecology of western landscapes, from the desert southwest to the Rockies and Cascades. He began tracking animals over 20 years ago, and over the last six years has devoted himself fully to this ancient science. Understanding how wild animals interact with each other and with their landscape is what drives him, and he’s found no better practice for this than trailing them in the wild places they call home. He holds a Specialist Certificate in Track & Sign and has scored a 94 (Level 3) on Trailing. 

Your Instructor lead naturalist and birder Kevin O’Malley at South Sound Nature School has been leading & teaching beginners, intermediate & expert birders wanting to go deeper and further their knowledge about habitats and behaviors of birds. Particularly Birds of the Eastern Cascades by identification, behavior and unique Shrub-Steppe & Eastern Ponderosa Pine Forest habitats. Kevin is particularly skilled in noticing bird tracks, nest, pellets & feeding signs these clues are important part of finding your favorite bird track or sign. Kevin is Level 3 Track & Sign and has a Level 2 Trailing certificate. More importantly Kevin has spent extensive time in the field with Casey McFarland and Marcus Reynerson. He is a Kamana 4, an Immersion Graduate and has a degree in Cultural Anthropology.

Topics that will likely be explored: Note not everything can be covered in one day. Nature will depict which subjects we spend more time with in the field. We like to pick specific subjects and species to focus on.

Tracking Funnel - Looking at the big picture

1. Maps and bird’s eye view

2. Edges and ecotones

3. Trail patterns on the landscape

4. Larders and Lacks

5. Seasonal patterns

6. Aspect and slope

7. Weather

8. “Push and Pulls”

9. Target species - knowing your quarry

10. Aging concepts

Whether beginner or advanced, every participant will walk away with a lot more knowledge and “search images” for the subtle patterns left behind by life on the landscape, ultimately feeling a stronger connection to the natural world.

The goal is to make you better at finding tracks in the field.

Cancellation: Full Refunds minus $50 processing fee given before 30 days of program after that I will honor a credit If I can fill your spot!

Please note these are small classes so a late cancel might mean you forfeit your payment but most importantly with a late cancel someone loses an opportunity.