Animal Tracking

What animal made that track?

Who left that sign on my driveway?

Ever wonder what animals live around you that you might not be aware of?

Or you know a little about the animals in your neighborhood and you would like to learn more. Have fun discovering the many mysteries of the creatures that inhabit nature. An animal tracking class by Natural Awareness Tracking School will enjoyably increase your outdoor awareness and ability to find and interpret tracks, scat and signs left behind by mammals, amphibians, reptiles, insects and birds.

• Can you tell if track to the right is from a dog, fox or cat?
• Is the track a front paw or hind paw, left or right?

In an animal tracking class we explore the following and more:

• Understand exact characteristics used to distinguish an animal species by an individual’s tracks
• Observe and study tracks and sign of ungulates, canines, felines, mustelids, lagomorphs, bear, raccoon, opposum, rodents, birds, frogs, turtles, insects and more in classroom and outdoor settings
• Correctly identify animal sign including scat (droppings), scrapes, beds, chewing and more
• Interpret an animals movement by in depth studies of track and gait patterns
• Follow an animal trail

The ability to find, interpret and follow tracks or sign left by an animal’s passage is an essential skill for persons interested in being attentive and responsive to occurrences in their surroundings. Whether you are interested in practicing tracking on a regular basis or simply attending the course for an introduction to tracking skills, your awareness will be expanded to new horizons.

All classes and field trips are customized for your group’s interests to facilitate better understanding and appreciation of the environment by learning how to identify animal families by their signs and prints.

Each class involves professional classroom presentations from instructors’ extensive library of animal track and sign images in power point form and casts of real tracks. No tracking class is complete without assisted outdoor experiences of first-hand learning from the true teachers: the animals and their own tracks and sign.

There are lots of books out there on track and sign identification, but since the animals don’t read them, they do whatever they want. The fun, mystery and learning occurs in seeking out and exploring these stories through your own natural awareness.

These courses are taught by Rob Speiden, who has more than 17 years experience in tracking services. He has studied from many well known tracking teachers and has been evaluated and certified by Cybertracker Conservancy as Tracker III. Rob is the author of Foundations for Awareness, Signcutting & Tracking and currently teaches tracking courses around the U.S. through this school.