Be a Tracking Leader
with the Wolverine Tracking Project
Winter Tracking Surveys

The Tracking Leader is the keystone of the Wolverine Tracking Project’s Winter Tracking Surveys.
Tracking Leaders not only share their knowledge and skills with others, but in so doing develop their knowledge base and skill sets even further.

Tracking Leadership Role

Tracking Leaders have an important role and many responsibilities.
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• Tracking Leaders are responsible for clear and accurate collection of wildlife data and for following tracking survey protocols thoroughly.
• Tracking Leaders share their enthusiasm and knowledge with the group and mentor Tracking Apprentices.
• Tracking Leaders are responsible for ensuring the safety and engagement of participants and for helping plan group survey trips.
• As a member of the Cascadia Wild Leadership Team, Tracking Leaders are integral in sharing and supporting Cascadia Wild’s vision and mission.

Tracking Leaders have proven themselves to be exceptional in the following areas: 
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• Tracking: Tracking Leaders possess excellent knowledge of the wildlife of Mt Hood National Forest and the interpretation of their track and sign. 
  
  
• Leadership: Tracking Leaders help Trackers along their own tracking journeys, while ensuring surveys are carried out accurately and safely. Tracking Leaders are enthusiastic about Cascadia Wild’s mission: to inspire a personal connection to community and the natural world. 

Benefits

Mentorship.
If you are becoming a Tracking Leader through the Tracking Apprenticeship program, the mentorship that you received will continue as you become confident in your new role. For experienced Tracking Leaders, mentorship offers the opportunity to hone your tracking and leadership with another skilled tracker.

Giving back to the community.
Tracking Leaders help connect our community to the natural world, providing opportunities for stewardship and involvement in our local forest while increasing others' awareness of the world around them and their place in it.

Contribution to wildlife research.
Tracking Leaders not only facilitate the collection of data on the wildlife of Mt. Hood National Forest, they also ensure that the data collected are credible and reliable. Researchers and wildlife managers rely on our data, and the expertise of Tracking Leaders, to help inform management decisions.

Being part of a great team.
Tracking Leaders have a great wealth of knowledge and passion for tracking - and they like to have fun, too! This is a great group of people to learn from, go tracking with, support on a survey team, sharing in and building a community of enthusiastic trackers.

​Free classes.
We encourage Tracking Leaders to actively continue building their skills as they grow into their leadership role and throughout their leadership. We offer Tracking Leaders select Cascadia Wild classes at no cost. 

Becoming a tracking Leader

Becoming a Tracking Leader starts with participating in at least one season of group tracking surveys. Participating in survey trips allows potential leaders to see what the surveys are like, learn about our data collection procedures, learn about Mt Hood wildlife, and in general see if we are a good fit for each other. 

From there, the most common path to becoming a Tracking Leader is to participate in the Tracking Apprentice program. Here you will learn the tracking and leadership skills you need. If you already have these skills, however, you may skip this step. The path to leadership is different for everyone.

When both you and the Leadership Team feel confident in your skills, and you meet the qualifications below, the next is to take the tracking leader evaluation. This formal evaluation consists of a written and a field component and provides valuable feedback on the strengths of your tracking and leadership skills and areas for improvement. The evaluation also provides an objective assessment of tracking ability, which verifies that the data our Tracking Leaders collect is accurate and reliable.

After being promoted to Tracking Leader, we will continue to pair you with an experienced leader for your first several trips, who will shadow you to provide assistance if necessary, until you feel confident leading on your own.

We also strongly encourage Tracking Leaders to participate in a CyberTracker Track and Sign Certification to both develop their skills and receive certification.

Tracking leader Qualifications

• Participation in Winter Group Tracking Surveys for at least one season
  
  
• Successful completion of the Tracking Leader Evaluation
  
  
• Strong tracking skills and the ability to accurately identify and interpret the tracks and sign of  Mt. Hood National Forest wildlife 
  
  
• Demonstration of excellent communication, responsibility, and ability to represent the values of Cascadia Wild
  
  
• Ability to thoroughly follow survey procedure and protocol
  
  
• Able to follow safe winter travel practices, including navigation, driving, snowshoeing, and recognizing and avoiding hazards
  
  
• Willingness and enthusiasm to mentor Tracking Apprentices and share your skills and knowledge with Trackers
  
  
• Competent in performing the described role of the Tracking Leader
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• Able to commit to at least two seasons as a Tracking Leader and to lead at least three surveys each season

Interested in becoming a Tracking Leader?
 Contact us and let us know. 

We can discuss your skills, knowledge, goals, and next steps. 
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Senior Tracking Leadership

Tracking Leaders who have been leading for at least two seasons, have proven excellent tracking skills, and meet the other qualifications below have the opportunity to become Senior Tracking Leaders. Senior Tracking Leaders are looked up to and relied upon to provide exceptional mentorship, tracking knowledge, and leadership.

In addition to the roles of a Tracking Leader, they also help with evaluating new Tracking Leaders, and have the opportunity to assist with refining survey protocols and other aspects in the development and improvement of the Winter Tracking Surveys.

Senior Tracking Leader Qualifications

• Completion of at least two seasons as a Tracking Leader
•  CyberTracker Track and Sign Evaluation: Level 3 or higher
• Demonstrated dedication to the Winter Tracking Surveys and the values of Cascadia Wild
• Exemplary in the Tracking Leader role and exceeds all Tracking Leader Qualifications

If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact us. 

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