Northwest Connections | Animal Track Clinics


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Animal Tracking Clinic

February 18-19, 2012
Cost: $150* or $75 for Seeley-Swan residents
Lodging, available upon request, is $15 per person, per night.

* One (1) University of Montana credit (EVST 395) is available for an additional $135 credit recording fee.
OPI credit is also available. Please contact our office if you would like to receive UM or OPI credit.

“It’s education at its finest, highly knowledgeable instructors leading a well-designed, hands-on course that inspires students to continue their learning of the subject (even) after the course ends.” - Steve Kem, workshop participant

The majority of this class is taught in the field, so participants can expect a hands-on approach to learning tracks and winter ecology. Participants will need to supply their own snowshoes for the field and should expect to hike between 1 and 3 miles each day.

If you prefer to remit course payment by check or money order, download the Animal Tracking Clinic Registration Form in either Word or PDF format.

Note: Animal Tracking Clinics are limited to 12 participants per course date. Registrations are accepted on a first come, first serve basis. Your registration will be secured once we have received the following:

A completed Registration Form
Course Fee (and lodging, if applicable)
Health and Acknowledgement of Risks & Liability Waiver Form (one per participant) to be completed and returned to NwC one week after registration. Download this form in either Word or PDF format.

Course Description
This is a two-day introductory tracking class based out of Northwest Connections’ historic Swan Valley homestead. Participants will learn how to recognize animals by track, gait pattern, habitat selection and behavior. This course has been taught for 10 years by local outfitters, naturalists, and conservationists with more than 50 years of tracking experience. Due to the wildness of the valley and the experience of the instructors, participants can expect to learn a variety of tracks from voles and squirrels to mountain lions and wolves.

The course fee includes lectures, guided field sessions, and transportation around the valley. Lodging at the homestead is available upon request. University of Montana and OPI credits are available.

Cancellation Policy
No refunds can be made for cancellations unless another participant from our waiting list can fill your space.

Northwest Connections cannot make exceptions to this cancellation policy for any reason, including, but not limited to, illness, travel delays, personal or family situations, emergencies or weather.

NwC reserves the right to cancel the course due to insufficient enrollment. In the unlikely event of such a cancellation, NwC will forward a full refund of all monies paid.

Itinerary

Saturday Session
9:00	Welcome/Registration
9:15	Introductions/Overview
9:30 - 11:00	Lecture: wildlife habitats and gait patterns
11:00	Outdoor Field Session – Interpretation of plants and mammal sign
12:00	Lunch in the field
5:00	Return to NwC
6:00	Dinner
7:00	Slideshow

Sunday Session
9:00	Track Characteristics (slides)
10:15	Break
10:30	Outdoor Field Session – Interpreting gait patterns and tracks
12:00	Lunch in the field
4:00	Return to NwC
5:00	Course Evaluations/Conclusion

NwC Winter Programs In The News
Feeling the Squeeze
by ERIKA FREDRICKSON, Missoula Independent, January 27, 2011 (PDF)

*** Erika Fredrickson was a student in NwC's Winter Field Studies where she was first inspired to write this article. ***

Video Report
by MONTE TURNER, KECI-TV, News Channel 13, February 19, 2010
(3 minutes and 41 seconds)

Students to learn animals' ways in Swan Valley
by TORI NORSKOG for the Montana Kaimin, February 3, 2010 (PDF)

Trailblazer: Professor of Paw Prints
by DINA MISHEV, Via, AAA Traveler's Companion, November 2008 (PDF)

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