:: BASIC-ADVANCED TRACKER TRAINING ::
Most tracking classes are led by James Bruchac (co-author of Scats & Tracks of The Northeast, Scats & Tracks of The Southeast and MidAtlantic). Guest trackers include Dr. James Halfpenny, senior author of Scats & Tracks series and A Field Guide to Mammal Tracking. Certification is available for most courses – please ask in advance.
Basic Animal Tracks Lecture. Through the use of a power point presentation and Ndakinna’s large collection of plaster track casts students will learn to identify common and not so common North American mammals from rabbits and foxes to mountain lions and grizzly bears.
Basic Tracks & Tracking Fieldtrip. Although this class is most popular in the winter it runs throughout the year. Class consists of instruction, basic footprint identification, and a fieldtrip to the Nature Preserve to look for tracks.
Basic Mammal Tracks and Plaster Casting. Participants will learn how to both identify and collect the tracks of numerous forest mammals. Consists of a two hour hands-on workshop focusing on track identification and track casting followed by a two hour field study. Participants will go into the Ndakinna preserve with the skills needed to make plaster casts of any tracks they may find.
Tracks & Scats with Jim Bruchac. Drawing on Jim Bruchac’s popular field guides co-authored with Dr. Halfpenny (Scats & Tracks Of The Northeast and Scats & Tracks of The Southeast), this class consists of basic to advanced footprint and scat (animal droppings) identification, field measurements, plaster casting of tracks and a two hour tracking field trip.
Winter Animal Tracking Intensive. This class was originally designed by Jim Bruchac as a quick overview for New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) species surveys. It consists of basic-advanced footprint identification, basic-advanced animal gaits, basic scatology, tracking data collection as well as a two hour tracking field study and intro to snow casting.
Professional Level Winter Animal Tracking. Also originally designed by Jim Bruchac for the NYS DEC to aid with various winter species surveys. While such training still continues this class is now open to the general public. Course involves basic-advanced print identification, basic-advanced gaits, basic scatology and hair ID, tracking data collection, snow casting, as well as 4 to 5 hours of tracking field studies. Note: Extended Tracking Internships and Apprentice Programs available upon request.