Duration: Meets one weekend per month for 3 months.
Dates: Begins February 13-14, 2021
Cost: $675 if you register on or before January 31 with a deposit of $250 to secure your spot. If you register after January 31, the cost will be $750.
Instructor: Filip Tkaczyk
Join us on a 3-weekend tracking immersion, a custom program for Tracking Connection offered by Filip Tkaczyk, author of Tracks and Sign of Reptiles and Amphibians. We will spend one weekend exploring and tracking each of the major ecoregions of the Pacific Northwest: the Puget Trough, East Cascades, and Sagebrush Steppe.
Dates of course:
February 13-14: Puget Trough
March 13-14: Eastern Cascades
April 10-11: Sagebrush Steppe
Group size will be limited to 8 and the program customized to meet our learning goals. There will be optional assignments and readings to extend your learning between program weekends.
What to expect:
-A rich and broad tracking experience with a skilled local tracker and naturalist!
-Walking a few miles each day, including some off-trail hiking and scrambling (nothing extreme, at a gentle to moderate pace).
-Locations will range from 1-3 hours from Seattle. We will make plans for overnight camping for the February and March weekends. You will need to arrange your own transportation.
Required Gear:
-Clothing for PNW weather (long pants, long sleeves, jackets and layers, hat for cold weather and for sun, sunglasses, comfortable footwear).
-Notepad and pencil/pen -binoculars and camera (recommended)
About the Instructor: Filip Tkaczyk is an experienced naturalist who has extensively studied the ecosystems of Washington state for over a decade. He is certified as a Track & Sign Specialist and is the author of "Tracks and Sign of Reptiles and Amphibians," the guide to North American species. He is currently a core instructor for tracking and naturalist immersion courses at Raven's Roots Naturalist School in Bellingham, and he has also taught tracking/outdoors skills to adults and youth for various organizations including Alderleaf Wilderness College, Wilderness Awareness School, and The Wildlife Society. He earned a B.S. in Wildlife Science from the University of Washington, where he led an in-depth study on nutria in the Seattle area, and he has also contributed to bat research in Olympic National Park. He holds a Permaculture Design Certificate and is a professional nature photographer who has captured wildlife images from around the world.