Track & Sign: Workshop + CyberTracker eval

~ course language will be English ~

New in our offer is a Track & Sign special.
In this case it will be a combination of a 3-days Track & Sign workshop followed by a 2-days CyberTracker eval.
An intensive, 5 day dive into the world of track & sign! What can be better?

We’ll be offering this combined course in the Belgium Ardennes; a beautiful landscape with steep, rocky as well as sloping hills, creek valleys, lots of mixed forests, with the Semois river winding through it.
The Semois valley is home of red deer, wild boar and roe deer. Beaver, coypu and muskrat live here. Even otter and lynx are back in the area! There is raccoon and raccoon dog, fox, badger, black stork, kingfisher and tawny owl, to name but a few others. All these animals leave their track and sign for us and that is what we will be searching for.

The first 3 days will be offered in a workshop setting with alternating parts of theory and excursions in these beautiful surroundings.
The two last days will be devoted to a CyberTracker eval in the same area.

What do I learn?
-you will learn to recognize tracks from different family groups (dog, cat, martens, ungulates, etc)
-their differences and similarities
-the features of tracks
-recognizing the 4 most important gaits
-lessons about all kinds of other sign like nests and bedding areas, feathers, hairs, bones, skulls, feeding remains, etc. etc.
-how and where to set up a trailcamera. So bring yours if you have one
-the ins- and outs of tracktraps. We will make them and check them every day.

For who?
If you want to know more about animal track and sign, this is the course for you. Same goes if you’d like to prepare well for a cybertracker eval. You will undoubtedly start to observe better and see more. Tracking opens your eyes and enriches and deepens your connection with your natural surroundings.
 
Set up of the course
We alternate our time during the worjshop days with theory (indoors) and practice (excursions, outdoors). We’ll be out most of the time, looking for tracks in all kinds of habitat: small stream valleys, banks of the Semois, coniferous and mixed woodlands.
In the evenings I’ll be offering theory lessons and lectures. I will also bring a variety of sign to look at.

We’ll make tracktraps and check them daily and we’ll put up trailcameras. We might head out watching wildlife on an evening.

What will I be able to, after attending this course?
You will become much better at searching, finding and naming all kinds of animal track and sign. Your nature connection will deepen.

A cybertracker eval is always a great way of learning. You will get to know where you stand with your knowledge, at this specific moment. You know what your strengths are and what things you can work on.

Do I need prior knowledge?
No.

What do I need to participate?
We’ll be out a lot, in sometimes rough terrain and in any kind of weather. You need to be physically fit for that reason! A small rucksack for lunch, (rain) clothes etc is needed.

Track & Sign SPECIAL - Ardennes
A 'T&S special' is new in what EXTRA is offering. A ‘special’ can be a single day, or several days on a specific topic. It can be offered indoors with a lecture, or outdoors in the field. Sometimes a one-time only offer. Sometimes a recurring program. In this case, it's the combined workshop plus eval in a beautiful landscape: the Belgian Ardennes.
 

EXTRA info

Duration: 5 full days (friday 10:00u - tuesday ± 16:00u)
arriving the thursday before is possible and included in the price
Group size: min 6 - max 10
Prerequisites: not needed
Catering: this course is self catering, EXTRA provides coffee, tea and cookies
(cooking is possible on location, but there are also restaurants nearby)
Accommodation: group accommodation in the woods with several 2 - 4 person bedrooms
Location: Ardennes Belgium (French border). Detailed info will follow after full registration
Included: all lessons, excursions, coffee/tea, accommodation
Not included: travel to and from the Ardennes, all your meals