The Art and Science of Wildlife Tracking for Conservation and Adventure!
Presentation at the Monterey Audubon Society
Jan 14, 2025
I gave a presentation on what is wildlife tracking, how it is used in wildlife conservation, and how to get started with this exciting and useful skill of reading animal signs. (I had some technical AV difficulties during the 1st minute, so you may want to skip it). Check it out!
Main topics:
00:00 •Introduction
01:59 •A story from a Bay Area Tracking Club outing, described in detail here
06:12 •Tracking involves recognizing patterns, piecing them together, and storytelling
08:44 •Tracking skills enrich one’s relationship with nature, important tools for research and conservation
15:12 •The 6 questions: what, who, how, where, when, and why?
17:20 •Foot morphology – differences between feline and canine tracks
22:31 •Quiz! Can you recognize a bobcat track from a gray fox?
24:07 •Examples of mammal tracks with 5 toes on front and hind feet
26:09 •Examples of rodent tracks – 4 toes on front feet and 5 on hind
27:26 •Examples of the five categories of bird tracks
29:00 •Other sign animals leave behind
29:27 •Trailing – following an animal
31:26 •Benefits of tracking
32:27 •How to get started
34:33 •Link to tracking resources
36:20 •Conclusion
37:29 •Questions from the audience
Track And Seek 