Wildlife Tracking for Adults

Friday, January 31, 2020, 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Saturday, February 1, 2020, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Learn to read stories in animal tracks!

Join Primitive Pursuits for this weekend intensive, and you’ll become pretty darn good at confidently identifying the tracks and trails of local wildlife. Just in the last few years, we’ve witnessed the reestablishment of several keystone mammal species such as bobcat, fisher, river otter and black bear. You can sit on your couch and watch wildlife shows…or you can live this amazing story yourself!

Accomplished instructors Jason Hamilton and Jed Jordan will distill many years of teaching this skill into a track-packed weekend of honing your skills - starting from wherever you’re at, novice or seasoned naturalist alike. Join us as we tangibly connect to our mammal kin and learn how to be better naturalist storytellers.

Here are some specifics we’ll cover:

Large mammal track ID, sign and behaviors
Smaller mammal tracks and pattern interpretation
Gait interpretation and trailing techniques
Tools for continued self-teaching and growth

Instructors:

Jed and Jason have been tracking animals locally for over a decade. But they are not just good trackers - they are also excellent teachers! Jed is Founding Director of the Primitive Pursuits program. He has also taught an "Environmental Sentinels" course at Ithaca College for ten years, in which students learn to track the history of trees and forest disturbances. Jason is a tenured faculty in the Environmental Studies and Sciences Department at Ithaca College. He is passionate about learning and teaching about nature's mysteries. They both think about tracking in their sleep, and can't wait to introduce you to some of the best wildlife hot-spots around!

Workshop Dates: January 31 - February 2

Friday Lecture 6PM - 8:30PM at Cornell Cooperative Extension

Saturday and Sunday will will be outside 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM with Locations TBD

We will be indoors for the Friday evening session, and meeting at various wildlife hot-spots on the following days. Bring a lunch! Warm clothing, and hot drinks are recommended. We also recommend knee-high waterproof footwear, or the next best cold weather option.