Get to know your non-human neighbors through the ancient art of wildlife tracking: the identification and interpretation of footprints and other signs left by animals.
Tracking teaches us to read the landscape like you’d read a newspaper, finding out who is moving through and what they’ve been doing. Join me to learn the process of tracking to identify common species in the urban area. You’ll also learn how to photograph tracks and spoor for identification, and discover resources to help you connect to other trackers and naturalists, and explore your world. Class sites include both urban parks and rural settings, and run through all seasons.
Want to join a class? Click here for the Class Calendar and search for “Tracking” to view dates and details.
Want to receive tracking tips and news of future tracking classes?
- Click here to sign up for my monthly newsletter.
- Contact me to arrange a private program for your group!
Looking for resources to help you on your tracking journey? Click here for my recommendations.
Resources for the Developing Tracker
Pocket guides for your pack
I don’t leave home without ’em! These are the guides I use for my classes.
- Animal Tracks of the Midwest by Jonathan Poppele (Bookshop, Amazon)
- Bird Tracks: includes 55 North American Species by Jonathan Poppele (Bookshop, Amazon)
Minnesota Wildlife Tracking Project
Our community of volunteer trackers runs a monthly free tracking club, regularly facilitates workshops and surveys with Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve and the University of Minnesota College of Biological Sciences, and frequently hosts Cybertracker Track & Sign and Trailing Certifications in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Sign up for the monthly newsletter here.
Web Resources
- Jonah Evans’ Nature Tracking and iTrack app (free & $15 Pro)
- Kim Cabrera’s Animal Tracks Den
- Feather Base
- US Fish & Wildlife Service Feather Atlas
- Tracker Certification North America: offers free Tracker Tuesday talks as well as certification opportunities from master teachers across the country
Online Tracking Courses
- Original Wisdom’s Tracker Mentoring Course: online course teaching foundational tracking skills
- Southwest Online Tracker Training: online course teaching foundations of tracking for Southwest desert ecosystems
| This social network of naturalists, citizen scientists, and biologists is designed to map and share observations of biodiversity across the globe. | View Kirsten’s observations » North American Animal Tracks Database Minnesota Wildlife Tracking Project Want to create your own account to share track photos & get ID help? Start here. |
