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Wildlife Tracking Online Course

This course is designed to increase your familiarity with tracks and sign of northeastern mammals and introduce you to a set of practices to enhance your learning process. Suitable for total beginner through intermediate-level trackers. 

Online course enrollment includes:

  • 8 online modules released on Wednesdays February 8 through March 29, 2023 -- designed to follow along as they're released or get started at any point in the future, at your own pace

  • Each module includes on average 30-40 mins of content including images, text, and videos

  • Optional "homework" and suggested field exercises

  • Access to a community board to ask questions and share your discoveries and progress in the course 

  • Access to all materials for 2 years from the date of enrollment

Participants following the weekly lesson releases in February-March will also have the option of joining two Q&A and review sessions with Sophie live on Zoom Thursdays, February 23 and March 23 at 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. Eastern time.

What's required:

It may seem counterintuitive to spend time at a computer learning an outdoor skill, but this course is designed to offer a structure to enhance your field time and accelerate your learning. It will provide you with lots of examples and search images to go looking for in the field, as well as tips on where to go look.  

Topics Covered:

  • Locating a tracking area

  • Approaches to tracking

  • Interpreting clear and unclear prints

  • Following trails

  • Distinguishing commonly-confused species

  • Wildlife behavior and natural history

  • Track patterns and gaits

  • Measuring and photographing tracks for expert confirmation 

  • Accessing tracking resources

  • Using trail cameras

  • Scat and other wildlife sign 

  • Tracking beyond the snow season

Course begins on February 8

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