Symposium

Dan Puplett

Dan Puplett is a freelance naturalist, conservationist and environmental educator. He has scored 100% (Level 4) in Track & Sign and is the author of the Field Studies Council British Bird Tracks & Signs chartand the new British Mammal Tracks & Signs chart. Dan teaches tracking and naturalist skills to a wide audience, including conservation professionals. He is a nature guide and has also contributed to a range of rewilding projects and tracking-based wildlife surveys. www.danpuplett.co.uk

Mustelid Tracks & Signs: The weasel family is a fascinating group and its members leave some distinctive track and sign. However some of the evidence they leave behind can easily be confused with that of other mammals. In this presentation Dan will take is through a selection of mustelid tracks and signs, with tips on how to identify them more confidently in the field and how to tell them apart from other similar looking field signs.

Diliana Welink

Diliana Welink: Level 3 CT, MSc Biology, Certified Naturalist. Fascinated by the role of insects in this world.

Invertebrate Sign: Sign of invertebrates can be found anywhere and everywhere, even on your daily walk and in your garden. Diliana Welink will show you where to look and will tell what these sign reveal about the fascinating lifes of wasps, snails and butterflies.

Francis Collie

Francis Collie: Francis is a CT certified tracker living in the woods by the Valley of Mankind, Dordogne (France), famous for the multitude of its prehistoric rock-art caves. In 2014, he founds the French tracking association Je Suis La Piste to share his passion through workshops, games, books, festivals, radio and internet. He has also created local tracker group Périgord Pistage and is co-founder of national association France Pistage.

Once upon a Track…Tracks tell the stories of our shy wild neighbours that would otherwise remain secret if we Trackers weren’t there to read them.If tracking skills broadened the mindset of our ancestors leading the way to Science, it also opened the way to Storytelling, another powerful Human feature.Let me storytel you into this idea…

Asaf Beb David

Asaf Ben David: Ph.D. Student at the zoology school of Tel-Aviv university. A member of the Wild track research group. The author of the Israeli track and sings field guide and the founder of Makommifgash.org, the leading community of wildlife trackers in Israel. website: https://makommifgash.org

When Gerbil and Rat Meet in the Sand Dune: Rodent’s tracks are some of the most challenging fields to learn in track recognition of mammals. In the Israeli nature, we have a high richness of species from the Asian desert, the European Mediterranean forest, and the Sahara Desert. In our talk, I will review three aspects of our fieldwork with track plates. First, how to differentiate between the taxonomic groups and the logic behind the paw structure. Second, we will show how track plates teach us to look at the minor details of the track and by that, enhance our ability to recognise the tracks on different substrates. And third, we will also claim track plates are the best tool for monitoring small mammals, especially for citizen science use as a non-invasive and cost-effective method based on the simplest materials, such as charcoal and sticky paper.  We will show results from our nationwide citizen science program based on track plates and how it reveals that small mammals are good ecological indicators for habitat.

Sören Decraene

Sören Decraene: moved from Belgium to Sweden in 2021, passionate about nature photography/filming and animal tracking (Level 4 T&S and level 2 Trailing), using the knowledge from tracking to get close to the animals I want to photograph.Working as a zoo- and wildlife veterinarian in Kolmården Zoo.

Bones: Intriguing to say the least, bones are a frequently asked question on Cybertracker evals.In this lecture I will be going over some specific bones in the animal body and describe how you can recognize them so that at the end of the lecture you will have gained the knowledge to determine bones you find on your tracking-walks! “

Thomas Baffault

Thomas Baffault: Thomas teaches tracking in France to the general public and outdoor teachers. He organizes french CyberTracker trainings and certifications with John Rhyder and René Nauta whom he regularly hosted since 2019. Having become a sheep shearer after graduating from Fine Arts, he learned from the shepherds the intimate interpretation of the landscape: the natural cycles and the fauna-flora relationship. He now divides his year between sheep shearing in spring and summer and tracking courses in autumn and winter. In 2022 he co-created the french tracker association with Francis Collie.

Tracking as a rewilding skill: We can come to tracking from different pathways : naturalism, bushcraft, science, hunting, ecology and many more. Invariably the practice of tracking seems to switch on a forgotten part of ourself. A root deep in our brains and bodies that is primal and essential to us. The learning of tracking not only induces fun but also a sense of belonging, a sense of understanding and a profound relish for more. Becoming a « tracker » may require a whole life or even several generations of passing skills and yet this infinite learning process is more exciting than discouraging. Let’s explore how tracking might be a doorway to freedom and to rewild our senses, our relations and our very being.

Ulrike Quartier:

Ulrike has been practicing trailing intensively for many years. She works at the Laboratory School Bielefeld with students of all ages and teachers in nature, is engaged in school development processes and a current scientific research project of the University of Bielefeld, “Nature in school”. Having a look at parallels between pedagogic claims and the effects growing out of trailing practice, on both students and adults, can be helpful to take in new perspectives.

Trailing and Education – a lively relationship that helps facilitate calmness and efficiency. Deep nature-connection and public-school curricula don’t seem to be made for each other. Giving space during schooldays to spend free time in nature is still suspected to be wasted time, although ancient and contemporary practical knowledge underlines the opposite. Free time in nature should be more recognised in education as an essential contribution of human development. By integrating indigenous knowledge into the Cybetracker system and into the development of school curricula, like recently the Laboratory School in Toronto did, by bringing it back into our lives, like Wilderness schools do for decades – many new doors already opened for a meaningful and preserving relationship with our natural world.

Oded Davidovich

Oded has been practicing and teaching tracking for more than 10 years in Israel, South Africa and Belgium. He has introduced both children and adults to tracking, and has trained professional trackers and field rangers. He is a track and sign specialist and a professional tracker from Cybertracker in South Africa and is very passionate about tracking and trailing animals, always learning and exploring new environments, animals and substrates he regularly publishes his experiences and adventures in the field on his Facebook page and on Instagram @oded_davisovich. He is currently based in Turkey

Introduction to animal Gait patterns (Gait analysis)) knowing gait patterns from the tracks left by animals can help us in interpreting their behaviour and by that we can gain more intimate understanding of the secret life of animals.

Bob Cowley

As Vice Chair of Oxfordshire Mammal Group, I am involved in organising a variety of outreach events. This includes public talks by leading experts, both live at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, and online on the YouTube channel which I have created. But my personal obsession is Track & Sign, and having achieved CyberTracker T&S Level 3, I have led workshops for Oxford University, The Mammal Society, The Field Studies Council, and a variety of other national, regional and local wildlife organisations. This year, I have accepted an invitation to join The Mammal Society’s Training Committee. Working with them, I intend to establish a programme of Tracking courses throughout the UK, and so raise the profile of Tracking as a serious subject of study for wildlife researchers, academics, and ecologists.

Slugs slide and Snails sneak: it has become generally accepted among Trackers that the slime trails of terrestrial molluscs can be identified according to a simple rule – Slugs leave a continuous trail, while Snails leave a dotted line of alternating slime and gaps. So several years ago, I summed up this wisdom in the mnemonic “Slugs slide and Snails sneak”. However, I have always wondered whether it really was that simple. After all there are thousands of different species of Snails and Slugs, but taxonomically, the only difference between the two groups is that the Slugs have internalised their shells. And what about the Semislugs? Which side of the dotted line are they on? In this short talk, I shall present the results of my recent research.

Dr Lisa Fenton

Lisa Fenton, BA (hons), MSc, PhD, PGCE is a highly experienced female bushcraft practitioner, based in the UK, and is recognised internationally. After serving her apprenticeship with Ray Mears, and the world-renown Woodlore organisation, Lisa created and ran her own bushcraft educational body, Woodsmoke, in the Lake District National Park for 17 years. During that period she took an MSc in Ethnobotany from the University of Kent and in conjunction with Kew Gardens. Exceptionally, she was invited to continue to study for her doctorate full-time in the department for Conservation & Anthropology, as part of the Durrell Institute of Conservation & Ecology. Her research in Bushcraft & Indigenous Knowledge was considered to have made a completely new contribution to knowledge, and following her completion, she took up her current post as a member of academic staff at the University of Cumbria, at the beautiful Ambleside campus, set in the heart of the Lake District National Park. She is a lecturer across undergraduate Outdoor Studies degree programs and postgraduate Experiential and Outdoor Learning Masters degree, and has developed the first postgraduate Bushcraft pathway for the OL MA degree.

Tracking in the ‘Ethnosphere’: The role of imagination and empathy in ‘seeing through the eyes of the animal’. In this consideration of tracking I explore the notion that in learning to track, one must learn to ‘see through the eyes of the animal’. I foster the idea that the practice of tracking promotes the development of a ‘relational epistemology’ with the natural world. From an ethnobiological standpoint, this refers to tracking as a deeply felt practice, which may create an inter-subjective relationship between people, place, and the ‘other-than-human’ world. This presentation briefly considers some of  the processes of traditional, local, Indigenous or folk approaches to trapping and hunting, from an historical, and cultural perspective. This invites further consideration of tracking as a way of being and knowing landscape: as an imaginative and empathic projection into the past and future, as well as the present. Thus, if the ‘Ethnosphere’ – a term coined by anthropologist Wade David – is the sum of cultural adaptations, dreams, imaginations and spirit, then presumably tracking is a point of critical relationship between the Ethnosphere (culture) and Biosphere (nature). Therefore I explore whether there is there a set of changing relationships to be mapped, according to different practice, in different biomes, and the way those practices differ or are similar – not only pragmatically (as material culture, affordances, processes) but also in the hunting imaginary that gives rise to ritual.

Frederick Kistner and Larissa Slaney

Fred and Larissa are founding members of the WildTrack Specialist Group, who focus on non-invasive methods for wildlife monitoring. Both have an interest in traditional tracking and are currently holding a Level 2 in Track & Sign with the Cybertracker system. Fred has a degree in Environmental Science and a strong interest in applied conservation biology and the usage of Machine Learning for ecological problems. He has been tracking and studying the tracks and signs of coastal otters in Portugal for many years. He is currently doing his PhD at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology where he is working on the development of new monitoring tools for elusive species. Fred is also a member of the IUCN Otter Specialist Group. Larissa has a BSc (Honours) in Life Sciences, a 1st State Exam in German Law and is currently doing her PhD in cheetah footprint analysis at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland, U.K. Her research combines working with zoos, trackers, in-situ conservationists, and academics. Larissa also develops science workshops and has worked internationally as a science communicator.

Otterley Confusing:Can we tell otter species apart by their tracks? If so, how does this work and why would it be relevant? In this talk, Fred and Larissa discuss their research on otter track analysis of three Asian otter species, all of which are on the IUCN’s Red List of Endangered Species. In many Southeast Asian regions, there is an overlap of at least two otter species. To establish population size and range of these elusive animals, more data is needed, preferably through non-invasive data collection methods. Tracks can be seen as such a data source. In this study, we distinguished between three otter species of Southeast Asia by comparing morphometric data extracted from digital footprint images using WildTrack’s Footprint Identification Technology (FIT). The results show that it is possible to identify these three otter species with FIT with an average accuracy of 97%. The authors discuss the importance of such research and what role the tracking community could play in in-situ wildlife conservation.

David Wege

David is a life-long birdwatcher, has worked in international bird and biodiversity conservation for 30 years and now teaches track and sign with Woodcraft School, Field Studies Council and others. He is Cybertracker Level 4 in Track and Sign, and has long been frustrated by our incomplete and inadequate knowledge of bird tracks. Over the last two years this frustration has motivated David to work on drawing and writing about bird tracks with John Rhyder for a publication due out later in 2023. With tracks of over 130 species already illustrated, photographed and described, David is well positioned to reflect on where we are with bird tracks and tracking.

Bird tracks and tracking: reflections on practicality and possibility: Identification of bird tracks is not our primary means of recording most birds, yet for some species it does still provide invaluable information and thus the accurate identification of bird tracks is important to us as naturalists. But which species can be reliably identified by their tracks? Which cannot? And for which species does this matter? Based on the knowledge John Rhyder and I have accumulated for our book Bird Tracks: A Complete Guide to the Tracks of British Birds, I will reflect on where I have found bird track identification useful, on the groups of species that we think cannot be reliably identified, and some areas for future work.

Michal Králik

After years of studing in Slovakia as well in Czech republic and working with NGOs and Univerzities on different demanding field works as a researcher, mainly focused on large carnivores and primeval forest all over the Europe, I ended up back in Slovakia where I am today. With a main focus to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts I am studying, proposing, designing and monitoring migration structures on linear infrastructure such are overpasses and underpasses suitable for different animal species. Beside Cybertracker trailing level II. I am also an authorized person to asset appropriate assessment on Natura 2000 sites and a ranger in Nature park Kysuce in northern part of Slovakia, with a passion in climbing and ski alpinism.

Tracking and surveying: This presentation explores surveys and animal tracking in order to fulfil obligatory migration studies in process of designing linear infrastructure such as highways. Correct data from tracking are  crucial to build suitable structures for animals to move thru human fragmented landscape. Since this year in Slovakia we also have new legal prescription which includes tracking of animals as an obligation during the process of planning. For persistent quality in collecting field data is a Cybertracker standards very inspiring to follow.

Toni Romani

Toni is a wildlife biologist from Italy with extensive experience studying large European carnivores and their relationship to their prey. Toni approached studying wildlife through the interpretation of tracks and signs and being trained over the years on the CyberTracker standard. He is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Warsaw, Poland and he recently conducted extensive research on nesting behavior in wild chimpanzee populations in western Uganda. He conducted several tracking and trailing workshops in Europe (mostly Italy, Romania and Poland), finding a way to better understand the link between humans and nature, supporting the creation of a common language between communities, and reinforcing the necessity of creating the need for trackers as a recognized (and paid) job.

Tracking at your service. First-hand experience and future opportunities for tracking in Europe.Toni will be giving a presentation on the opportunities that tracking can offer in a rapidly changing world, more and more interested into more natural aspects of our lives. Tracking is a practical skill (a tool, like the oven in a kitchen), teachable and reachable by any person, regardless any social constraint. It is just a matter of dedication, attention to details, and a long term view, rather than setting short term goals. Toni will be presenting the progress made in promoting tracking and creating a community in Italy and Romania, together with the irreplaceable colleagues Georg Messerer, Matei Miculescu, Ion Vela and Dosia Lipseste, Mihai Velescu, Alina Floroi and Oana Mondoc, from the NGOs WeWilder and WWF.

José M Galán

Galan has been a Guide of the Doñana National Park since 1992. Senior Tracker since 2018. He is currently assigned to the Spanish Action Plan to aginst wildlife trafficking and international poaching.

The importance of modern trackers in support of archaeology, paleontology, and human evolution. Late Pleistocene surface full of tracks and trackways (named ‘Matalascañas Trampled Surface’) has been exposed at the base of the ‘El Asperillo’ cliff (Doñana National Park, Matalascañas, Huelva, southwestern Spain) as a result of recent storms. This surface has been identified as the bottom of the unit AU1, acording to the local stratigraphic section, and originated during the marine stage MIS-5 (~120.000 yr). This trampled surface records exceptional tracks and trackways of different terrestrial vertebrates. In particular, three morphotypes of tracks ascribed to Artiodactyla (the auroch Bos primigenius, the red deer Cervus elaphus and wild boar Sus scrofa), one to Elephantidae (Palaeoloxodon antiquus), one of Canidae (Canis lupus), and 4 to waterbirds (geese, waders, flamingoes, Charadrii) have been identified. The presence of Homo neanderthalensis has been confirmed through the discovery of Mousterian lithic material in the same context as the faunal tracks. A debate is opened around the importance of the identification and precise interpretation of traces in support of the identification and interpretation of paleoichnites .This ichnoassociation is characteristic of a hunting area in a shorebird ichnofacies.

Kim Cabrera

Kim is a lifelong tracker and nature enthusiast. Cabrera earned CyberTracker Track and Sign Specialist certifications in the forest and desert biomes in the USA. She has a Level II Trailing certification. Cabrera created the first web site dedicated to tracking in 1997, and has taught tracking in state parks in California, and for various conservation organizations in northern California.

Tracking to Improve Trail Camera Placement: Trail cameras are becoming more popular and widely available. As trackers, we can use them to confirm our track identifications, and to observe wildlife behavior. It can be dufficult to find a good placement and properly set up a camera to obtain good images. Using tracking skills, we can improve our choices and find better locations to set up our cameras to obtain the best results. Using the example of my own experience with black bears and mountain lions, I will show how tracking can improve trail camera results.

Kersey Lawrence

Panelist

Kersey Lawrence (she/her/hers) divides her time between her current home in South Africa and her family home in Connecticut. She travels frequently, with her partner, Lee Gutteridge, to many countries, provinces, states, and villages, reconnecting people to their ancestral roots by teaching and evaluating wildlife tracking and ecological literacy. Kersey is the first woman in the world to achieve the certification of Senior Tracker (since 2016) with CyberTracker Conservation, the international gold-standard for certifying wildlife trackers. She evaluates people on the Track and Sign Identification aspect (since 2014) of Tracking in Africa, and on the Trailing aspect (since 2018) of Tracking in North America. She completed a Doctorate in Natural Resources, studying trackers and tracking, with the University of Connecticut in 2020. Kersey is an award winning teacher from the same university, and uses her 10 years of classroom experience to enhance the full-brain, full-body, experiential, ecological education that tracking provides humans naturally. Her company, Original Wisdom, is based on the concept that tracking is both an ancestral knowledge and a modern technology. Original Wisdom combines ancient and modern skills in small, customized, academic programs focusing on wildlife tracking, ecology, bushcraft, and human culture.

Expert Panel Along with some of our European evaluators the following folks have kindly agreed to sit in on a panel to answer general questions on track and sign and trailing and tracking across different continents.

Preston Taylor

Casey McFarland

Kersey Lawrence

Preston Taylor

Panelist

Preston is a Senior Tracker and Trailing Evaluator for CyberTracker, and works as an ungulate biologist with the Yurok Tribe Wildlife Department. His interest in tracking began as a teenager, and he has devoted over two decades of intense focus to this art. When he’s not on a trail trying to get close to some elusive animal, he can be found at the beach surfing.

Expert Panel Along with some of our European evaluators the following folks have kindly agreed to sit in on a panel to answer general questions on track and sign and trailing and tracking across different continents.

Preston Taylor

Casey McFarland

Kersey Lawrence

Casey McFarland

Panelist

Casey has run over 140 Evaluations and given trainings in 8 countries, and as an External Evaluator he oversees Track & Sign Specialist Evaluations. He was integral to the establishment CyberTracker Europe, and currently sits as President of CyberTracker North America.

Expert Panel Along with some of our European evaluators the following folks have kindly agreed to sit in on a panel to answer general questions on track and sign and trailing and tracking across different continents.

Preston Taylor

Casey McFarland

Kersey Lawrence

Rene Nauta

Both Rene and John will be hosting this years event and possibly answering questions as part of the expert panel on the last day

John Rhyder

Both Rene and John will be hosting this years event and possibly answering questions as part of the expert panel on the last day

Welcome to the ITS 2023

Details of  the timetable/agenda for the event can be found here

Booking for the 2023 ITS is available via our partners at the Dutch Mammal Society