Bellingham
Wildlife Trailing
Workshop

Bellingham Wildlife Trailing Workshop

Note: this is not a Trailing Evaluation

Thursday June 18th 9:00 - 3:30

Please join us for trailing opportunities in Western WA with Evaluator & highest Level 3 holder in Trailing Marcus Reynerson, Specialist in Track & Signs holder & Level 3 Trailing Mark Thompson & Level 3 Track & Signs holder & Level 2 Trailing Kevin O’Malley On Thursday June 18th, Marcus will offer one workshop & Mark & Kevin the other. This course dives into the most essential principles of effective trailing methodology and how they relate to the CyberTracker Trailing Evaluation process.

(two different Trailing Workshops with 4/5 participants on the same day & times likely starting at same location)

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 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.

At a Trailing Workshop, every participant takes a turn as lead tracker. The goal is to follow an animal’s fresh spoor (any presence of the animal) to locate it on the landscape, guide the group to approach and observe it, and, finally, to exit the area without alerting the animal to any human presence. Every tracking situation is different, so we are always in the position of having to “figure it out.” This uniqueness also results in variations to the exact experience of each participant, dictated by field conditions and animal behavior.

We teach participant how to follow spoor (any presence of the animal), recognize and interpret tracks & sign, anticipate where the trail is going, read the trail for danger, interpret the ecological context of the trail, and approach the animal, if the occasion arises.

We typically follow any of the ungulates, especially deer, elk, moose, feral hogs, javelina, and bighorn sheep; however, participants should be prepared to follow the trail of any animal large enough to leave sign, e.g., bears. To understand more and get a description of Trailing Workshops/Evaluation click here. There is a great video here Dave Moskowitz & Casey McFarland did that explains what Trailing and animal means.

Your Instructor Marcus Reynerson 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, wildlife trackers wanting to go deeper and further their knowledge about habitats and behaviors of birds and their tracks & sign. 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.

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!