Track & Sign: online course (English)
~ course language is English ~
Track & Sign (T&S) are all around us. Anywhere you go you'll find stories, written in the landscape by a wide variety of animals, big and small. And there will be new stories tomorrow!
Wouldn’t it be fascinating to be able to read them?
I'd love to take you along in this fascinating world.
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over 25 video lessons + 4 interactive Zoom calls + homework
certificate
10 % discount on your first CyberTracker eval
mentoring (app)
including fieldcards
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What do I learn?
- recognizing different tracks from a wide range of families
- their mutual differences, but also their common similarities
- foot morphology
- how to keep front and hindfeet apart
- an insight in how animals move; the 4 most used gaits
- explanation of all kinds of sign: nests, burrows, feeding sign, pellets, food remains, hair, feathers, etc etc
- tracktraps, the how-to
- tips & tricks when using trailcameras
I am convinced that after this course has ended, your view of the (animal) world around you will have completely changed as you will see and understand so much more. Even your own garden will open up for you!
Welcome to the world of Track & Sign!
Why join?
Apart from a general interest to learn more about T&S, you may also participate as a great step up for taking part in a CyberTracker evaluation.
If you are professionally involved in T&S (ecologist, monitoring), this course is a great opportunity to increase and improve your knowledge.
Course set up
The lessons are divided into a part about ‘tracks’ (foot prints) and a part on ‘sign’ (all the other clues animals leave behind). You will learn to recognize the tracks from all kinds of European animal families, their key features and differences with their look-alikes.
In addition, I’ll walk you through all kinds of ‘sign’. You will receive an extensive explanation, based on many photos and my many years of experience.
This intensive course will include a series of 25+ videos (scroll for an example lesson). You can watch these in your own time, and as many times as you like.
I’d like you to head out and find T&S by yourself; to work on regular assignments. Learning T&S means (a lot of) 'Dirt Time'!
In return I’ll send you photos to puzzle.
We will meet regularly via Zoom calls to discuss both your finds and the given homework. I offer mentoring via app and private facebook.
I am convinced that teaching shouldn’t be a one-way learning process. The interactive part of this course is a conscious choice, and it sets mine apart from many other online courses.
What - when the course is over?
As a skilled tracker you will see with new eyes! Apart from being able to find, recognize and name all kinds of T&S, there is more. I'm sure it will also deepen the connection between you and the natural world.
Plus more learning opportunities:
-This course will also be a prerequisite if you want to participate in the T&S follow-up course, which I am planning to offer in the near future. Also online.
- Plus the opportunity to participate in special T&S courses that we will set up in the near future. Consider, for example, certain themes such as 'animal gaits', 'snow tracking', 'wolf monitoring' etc.
-You are most welcome on one of our wilderness expeditions, where T&S is always an important part of the course content. All our wilderness expeditions are in English.
-You will receive a 10% discount if you decide to join your first CyberTracker eval in Holland.
Do I need previous knowledge?
You don't. And even if you have previous knowledge, I am sure you will learn lots of new stuff. This course is designed for both beginners as well as more advanced trackers.
Tracking is a never ending story...
A reasonable knowledge of the English leanguage is a prerequitsite, being able to understand a good bit the lessons is important (being able to talk is less important).
What do I need to participate?
A well working internet connection. A will and motivation to learn. Time to watch all the videos. Plus: dirt time!
Fieldcards as part of the course
Our fieldcards have a caption in English (and Latin) and are therefore a very useful tool to bring along in the field. As participant of this course you can order one set free of charge if you like. But we do ask you to pay the shipping costs yourself, because there is just too much variation to ship to all different countries.
EXTRA info
Group size: min 6 - max 12
Prerequisites: no previous knowledge needed.
Location: online
Included: 25+ video lessons, 4 Zoom calls, homework, mentoring by one of Europe's CyberTracker Evaluators.
Optional: free order of a set of Fieldcards (shipping costs are for your own account).
Here is one of the lessons as an example to watch:
Prijs
€ 295,= (incl. Dutch taxes)
Deposit:
€ 95,=
Data overview
2024
thursday Oct 10th '24 - 1st zoom (19:30h - approximately 21:30h)
thursday Nov 7th '24 - 2nd zoom (19:30h - approximately 21:30h)
thursday Nov 21st '24 - 3rd zoom (19:30h - approximately 21:30h)
thursday Dec 12th '24 - last zoom (19:30h - approximately 21:30h)
2025
tuesday Oct 7th '25 - 1st zoom (19:30h - approximately 21:30h)
tuesday Oct 28th '25 - 2nd zoom (19:30h - approximately 21:30h)
tuesday Nov 18th '25 - 3rd zoom (19:30h - approximately 21:30h)
tuesday Dec 16th '25 - 4th zoom (19:30h - approximately 21:30h)
Aanbod samenvatting
Course content:
- dive into the animal's world by learning about the T&S they leave behind
- a thorough online learning programme
- lessons by one of Europe's CyberTracker Evaluators!
- dirt time!
- (re)connection with the animals & wilderness around you
- recognizing tracks of different animal families (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates)
- learning their mutual similarities and differences
- foot morphology
- differences between front and hind feet
- the 4 most used gaits
- an explanation of all other sign
- intensive series of online lessons (videos)
- homework (assignments) throughout the course
- discussing homework (assignments) via Zoom meetings