Soft nyala. | Photo courtesy of Kersey Lawrence and Lee Gutteridge
Many of our ancestors would have been able to recognize sights, smells, and sounds in the landscape to alert them to the other-than-humans sharing spaces with them. Knowledge about how to track and trail animals isn’t always passed down now from generation to generation, but there are people with these skills who can teach them!
On Saturday, October 25, at 7 PM, join Chocorua Lake Conservancy, New England Wildlife Tracking, and Tin Mountain Conservation Center at Tin Mountain in Albany, NH for Stories from the Trail: Tracking Dangerous Animals, a free program with Master Tracker Lee Gutteridge and Senior Tracker Dr. Kersey Lawrence. Lee and Kersey will be celebrating the publication of their new book, Tracking Animals: A Guide to Trailing Animals.
Pile-o-rhino. | Photo courtesy of Kersey Lawrence and Lee Gutteridge
Tracking Animals provides a fresh look at the processes and skills required to become competent in the art and science of tracking wild animals. When done correctly, tracking allows for viewing a wild animal without alerting it to your presence, which is key to interpreting and understanding their natural behaviours. But an animal's trail doesn't stop when we find it. Tracking gives us glimpses into an animal's life. Tracks tell stories, and trackers read those stories.
Tembe cub. | Photo courtesy of Kersey Lawrence and Lee Gutteridge
In this presentation, Lee and Kersey will share stories of tracking adventures, and read a selection or two from the book that demonstrates what’s possible and explains how to track and find an animal. While the heart of the book is in the southern African bush. their stories span continents, species and habitats, and the concepts are applicable everywhere there are animals to find, and tracks, signs and trails to identify, interpret and follow.
This talk will be of interest for both beginners and experienced trackers, and to naturalists, hikers, guides, hunters, scientists and educators. Lee and Kersey will have books available for purchase and are happy to answer questions and sign your book for you. Please register in advance via the link above, or just show up. Tin Mountain Conservation Center is wheelchair accessible.
Dr. Kersey Lawrence and Lee Gutteridge. | Photo courtesy of Kersey Lawrence and Lee Gutteridge
Dr. Kersey Lawrence and Lee Gutteridge are both qualified Trackers at the highest levels of certification and can assess trackers on the CyberTracker System. Lee is a Master Tracker and Kersey is a Senior Tracker.
Senior Tracker is earned by achieving the highest levels of certification, the Specialist level, in both aspects of tracker certification: track and sign identification, and trailing. Kersey founded Original Wisdom in 2013. She is the only woman in the world to have earned the Senior Tracker certification and holds a Ph.D. in the ecology and culture of tracking—you can download her published research here.
Master Tracker is a trademarked honorary designation bestowed upon individuals who have been a Senior Tracker for at least 10 years and have also made a significant contribution to trackers and tracking. Lee is one of the most qualified guides in Southern Africa, a Scout Guide with many additional specializations. He is also the author of 12 field guides and natural history books, and a highly reputable trainer of guides for the ecotourism industry in Africa. He founded Nature Guide Training, a Southern African guide training company, in 2003. Lee is also a member of the Ethics Committee for the Field Guides Association of Southern Africa (FGASA).
Together, Lee and Kersey specialize in ecological instruction and conservation research, and in training and mentoring Trackers. They frequently conduct tracker certifications in Africa and North America. Kersey and Lee are co-authors of Tracking Animals: A Guide to Trailing Wildlife, and The Tracker Mentoring Manual, a how-to guide to developing a process to learn tracking, on your own, wherever you are.
Alongside over 20 years of experience teaching outdoor skills to people of all ages, Kersey also spent a decade as a university lecturer, earning a certificate in university-level environmental education and receiving an award for excellence in teaching. She is currently Honorary Faculty at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland and a Researcher at the University of Cape Town.
She is a member of the WildTrack Specialist Group and an instructor for Southwest Wildlife Online Tracking Training (SWOTT). She also serves as the Co-Chair of the Professional Development Committee for CyberTracker North America – Tracker Certification, is a founding member of the Certified Wildlife Trackers Association, and the Lead Editor for the Proceedings of the North American Wildlife Tracker Conference.
Banner image: Red-billed oxpeckers. Photo courtesy of Kersey Lawrence and Lee Gutteridge