Programs
Education
Uncovering the Hidden Lives of Wildlife: Fundamentals of Wildlife Tracking
Instructor: David Moskowitz
July 7-8, 2012
Join the Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams Institutes for this exciting field seminar!
The ability to find, identify, and interpret the multitude of animal tracks and signs produced by wild animals requires careful observation skills as well as a depth of knowledge of wildlife behavior and ecology. This class will train students in wildlife tracking techniques as we explore the lives of predators and prey alike in the field through the signs they leave behind of their travel, feeding behavior, and many other aspects of their lives.This field course blends quality training in techniques and theory with hands on mentored practice in the field. The content and structure of this course make it valuable whether you are interested in strengthening your skills as a naturalist or are a student in the field of wildlife science.
Specific Topics Covered:
- Techniques for finding tracks and signs
- Identification of tracks and signs
- Track aging
- Animal locomotion and track pattern interpretation
- Interpretation of wildlife behavior and ecological relationships
- Trailing and other techniques for finding wildlife
- Documentation techniques for naturalists and researchers
- Introduction to the natural history and conservation of Northwest Regional mammal species.
- History and evolution of the practice of wildlife tracking
* Also included in this field seminar: lunch and dinner on Saturday, breakfast and lunch on Sunday and lodging (bunkhouse or tepee… TBA) in Trout Lake, WA
Make-or-Break Date: June 15
Meeting Time: 9:00 am
Meeting Place: the Mt. Adams Institute’s base camp located at the USFS Mt. Adams Ranger Station in Trout Lake, WA
Hike Level: Medium
Requirements: Participants should be in good shape and able to hike several miles over rough terrain. Gear Requirements
Fee: $250 (of which $100 is a tax-deductible contribution to the Institute; also includes lunch and dinner on Saturday, breakfast and lunch on Sunday and lodging Saturday night)
Limit: 15
Details will be e-mailed to participants on the “make-or-break” date.
