Tracking Apprenticeship
wolverine tracking project - winter tracking surveys
The Wolverine Tracking Project's Tracking Surveys depend on knowledgeable trackers, and we would love to teach you!
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The Tracking Apprenticeship is designed to develop your skills in two key areas:
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Tracking Leaders and Apprentices are the backbone of the Wolverine Tracking Project’s Winter Tracking Surveys. The Tracking Apprenticeship program provides an opportunity to learn in-depth tracking, outdoor, and leadership skills, while playing a crucial role in collecting wildlife data!
Much of the apprenticeship involves helping out on survey trips, under the guidance of the Tracking Leaders. Here, you get important "dirt time," practicing your tracking skills under the mentorship of skilled trackers. The surveys are also an opportunity to learn what it takes to lead a group in the outdoors, plus get hands-on experience practicing these leadership skills. The surveys also need your help! As an apprentice, you will assist the Tracking Leader by helping out with survey coordination, volunteer support, following survey protocols, and, as your knowledge increases, with track identification and teaching. Apprentices play a crucial role in making the surveys happen.
The apprenticeship is also about guiding you to the training that would be most helpful to you. A Tracking Apprentice has a lot to learn – tracking skills, teaching skills, group management, wilderness safety, and more - and everybody comes in with different knowledge and skills, and different needs. This training could be taking classes (either through Cascadia Wild or other organizations), attending tracking club, or a variety of things. We will help you asses your skills and goals, and together determine a plan to get you the skills you need.
Regular meetings throughout the year will help ensure you stay on target, process what you are learning, have a place to ask questions, and support you in your learning journey.
The apprenticeship is a muliti-year journey. If you don't have previous tracking experience, it will start with regular participation in the Tracking Surveys for your first season. After a season or two (or three) of learning under the apprenticeship, we hope you will stay and be a Tracking Leader.
We ask that Apprentices commit to at least four survey trips in a season. We encourage you, however, to use this time to learn and grow to its full benefit, participating in as many surveys as you are able.
Much of the apprenticeship involves helping out on survey trips, under the guidance of the Tracking Leaders. Here, you get important "dirt time," practicing your tracking skills under the mentorship of skilled trackers. The surveys are also an opportunity to learn what it takes to lead a group in the outdoors, plus get hands-on experience practicing these leadership skills. The surveys also need your help! As an apprentice, you will assist the Tracking Leader by helping out with survey coordination, volunteer support, following survey protocols, and, as your knowledge increases, with track identification and teaching. Apprentices play a crucial role in making the surveys happen.
The apprenticeship is also about guiding you to the training that would be most helpful to you. A Tracking Apprentice has a lot to learn – tracking skills, teaching skills, group management, wilderness safety, and more - and everybody comes in with different knowledge and skills, and different needs. This training could be taking classes (either through Cascadia Wild or other organizations), attending tracking club, or a variety of things. We will help you asses your skills and goals, and together determine a plan to get you the skills you need.
Regular meetings throughout the year will help ensure you stay on target, process what you are learning, have a place to ask questions, and support you in your learning journey.
The apprenticeship is a muliti-year journey. If you don't have previous tracking experience, it will start with regular participation in the Tracking Surveys for your first season. After a season or two (or three) of learning under the apprenticeship, we hope you will stay and be a Tracking Leader.
We ask that Apprentices commit to at least four survey trips in a season. We encourage you, however, to use this time to learn and grow to its full benefit, participating in as many surveys as you are able.
Qualifications
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Benefits
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Learn in-depth wildlife tracking skills
Tracking can open up a whole new world as you are able to learn about the presence of animals that you may not be able to observe directly. Tracking is also an important non-invasive survey method for people interested in going into the natural resources field. Develop leadership skills Develop confidence being in front of a group, and knowledge of how to safety and effectively guide people in an outdoor environment. Part of fun group of people 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. |
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Give back to the community
As you develop your tracking and leadership skill sets, you also share your knowledge and you passion with others in the community. Contribute to wildlife research Tracking Apprentices facilitate the collection of data on the wildlife of Mt. Hood National Forest. Researchers and wildlife managers rely on our data to understand these animals and inform management decisions. Class discounts. The Tracking Apprentice receives all the same benefits as any of our volunteers, including discounts on most Cascadia Wild classes. During the second year of the apprenticeship, a Tracking Apprentice with a strong commitment to becoming a Tracking Leader may be eligible to take select Cascadia Wild classes for free. |
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becoming a tracking leader
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Trackers who master the skill sets of tracking and leadership are invited to join the Cascadia Wild Leadership Team - and become a Tracking Leader!
When both the Tracking Apprentice and Leadership Team feel confident in the apprentice's skills, they have the opportunity to take a formal evaluation to become a Tracking Leader. For some, mastery of these skills is possible in one season, but for most people this takes several years. The time needed in the apprenticeship depends on the level of experience you bring as well as the amount of time you are able to commit each season. Learn more about Becoming a Tracking Leader. |
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Are you interested in the Tracking Apprenticeship but you...
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