REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!
September 3 - October 5, 2025
ONLINE CLASSES:
Wednesday evenings 9/3, 9/10, 9/17, 9/24, 10/1 (6:30 - 8:30pm)
GROUP FIELD TRIPS:
Sundays: 9/7, 9/14, 9/21, 9/28, 10/5 (9am - 3pm)*
* with optional self-organized camping available Saturday nights
Most Field Trips will take place on the Fontana Lake Mudflats
80 minutes from Asheville / 45 min from Sylva
Carpools available from Asheville & Sylva
This course is a 5 week introduction to the exciting and timeless tradition of animal tracking. Based in Western NC, The Art of Tracking is an opportunity for people of all experience levels to develop and hone our ecological knowledge and naturalist skills. Drawing on the wisdom of land-based peoples around the globe as well as modern wildlife science we will learn to identify the tracks and signs left by local mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates. By focusing our curious attention on the clues written on the landscape we can gain insight into the hidden lives of these wonderful creatures and deepen our connections with the natural world.
Course Details & Logistics
(Please read in full before completing registration)
I can’t attend the field trips, can I still participate?
Yes! Folks who can’t attend the field trips are welcome to enroll to attend or watch the online sessions only . Simply fill out the registration form and indicate your availability. There is an alternate sliding scale for online-only.
What is the Cost?
This course is offered on a sliding scale of $350 - $600*. This includes all online classes, field trips, and online learning modules. Please pay as high on the scale as you can based on your economic means. Paying at the upper end of this sliding scale helps build our scholarship fund and ensures our programs remain accessible to those with less financial means. By comparison, other 2-day Track & Sign Workshops typically cost $350-400.
*No one will be turned away for lack of funds- if you are really excited to learn about wildlife tracking but can’t make the full financial contribution that is perfectly fine! We especially encourage BIPOC, LGBTQ+, young people and other folks from marginalized communities to apply for a financial assistance scholarship. Wild Remembering would not be where we are today if not for the scholarships and financial support we have received from generous teachers and organizations.
Learn more about our philosophy of Gift Economy.
Who is this course for?
From complete beginners to outdoor professionals who wish to add a new skill to their naturalist repertoire, this course is designed to be accessible and beneficial for anyone interested in deepening their knowledge of wildlife track & sign. As a participant you will choose your own challenge and engage with the materials to whatever degree best suits you and your personal learning goals.
With wildlife tracking there are always new mysteries to puzzle over and signs to discover and as a facilitator I strive to keep participants of all levels challenged and learning. That said, the online portions of this course will focus primarily on the fundamentals of track and gait analysis so will be most appropriate to folks who are relatively new to the art of tracking. I encourage those who might already have an intermediate or advanced knowledge of tracking to reach out to me directly at info@wildremembering.com to learn about more advanced tracker trainings which will be offered in the future.
Where & when will the course take place?
Online Classes will take place via Google Meet on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 - 8:30pm ET on 9/3, 9/10, 9/17, 9/24, & 10/1. These sessions will be recorded for those who can’t attend live.
Group Field Trips will take place Sundays from 9am - 3pm on 9/7, 9/14, 9/21, 9/28 & 10/5. Most Field Trips will take place on the Fontana Lake Mudflats which is 80 minutes drive from Asheville or 45 min from Sylva. A carpooling spreadsheet will be available to help folks coordinate ride-shares. Some participants may choose to camp out at Tsali Campground on Saturday nights prior to our Field Trips.
Will there be homework?
In addition to the Online Classes and Field Trips, participants will be encouraged to spend time at their “tracking sit spot” and will be invited to complete optional field assignments, readings, quizzes, and record tracking journals.
Some folks might choose to spend every waking moment searching for tracks, sketching, journaling, and studying while others might be contented with just a few casual strolls down your neighborhood trail admiring the raccoon tracks in the mud. It’s up to you: you are the master of your own tracking destiny!
What will I need?
Animal Tracks Field Guide - To get the most out of this course you will need an accurate and thorough guide to local animal tracks. The gold standard is the book Mammal Tracks & Sign by Mark Elbroch. A more affordable and convenient (but less comprehensive) option is the smartphone app iTrack Pro. Other optional books will be listed on the Tracking Resources list upon registration.
Notebook and pencil - These will be needed to take notes, record measurements, and make sketches. Rite in the Rain or other waterproof field notebooks are recommended. An additional larger format grid or blank notebook is optional for those who wish to compile a Tracking Journal.
Ruler and/or measuring tape - Essential tools for any tracker, we’ll use these to get accurate measurements of tracks and gait patterns.
Clothing and Footwear- We will be outdoors and exposed to the elements for all field trip days. Seasonally-appropriate layers, hat, and rain jacket are recommended. Boots or hiking shoes with good traction are required as many of our tracking locations will be muddy and/or uneven terrain.
That’s it! - You don’t need any specialty equipment or fancy toys to become a great tracker, just your patience and your curious attention to details.
Instructors
Topher Stephens has been a leader of outdoor and experiential education programs for over 15 years. Drawing from his background in conservation biology, mindfulness education, and nature-based mentoring, he brings a reverence for all life and a deep respect for the more-than-human world to his teaching. He has studied tracking with Cascadia Wild, Wilderness Awareness School, and Southwest Online Tracker Training. He currently holds a Level 3 Track & Sign certificate from Tracker Certification North America. Outside of tracking, he is an avid birder, songwriter, whittler, potter, and wilderness guide. He currently resides in his childhood home on the banks of the Caney Fork of the Tuckaseegee where he can watch the Ospreys, Otters, Beavers and Deer from his back porch.
Luke Cannon has instructed for numerous wilderness awareness programs, led classes, walks and workshops for numerous private and public institutions, herbal schools and plant societies including: the North Carolina Arboretum, the Blue Ridge Audubon Society, Organic Growers School, the Finger Lakes Native Plant Society, the Asheville Mushroom Club, Wild Abundance, and the Appalachian School of Holistic Herbalism. In 2011 he became the founder and Director of Astounding Earth - dedicated to helping people deepen their relationships with the living Earth. Luke currently lives in the mountains of North Carolina, studying and teaching Appalachian ecology, ethnobotany and avian ecology. He offers regular public walks and workshops to share his knowledge of local ecology and to try and kindle our collective fascination for the living Earth.