Mammal Tracking for Connection & Biological Recording

About the course:

We will spend the day learning about the track & signs left behind in the environment by mammals as they go about their lives, and how to identify and record those that we might find. Though some of the day will be spent 'in the classroom', the majority of the day will be spent outside practicing connecting with our senses to be better trackers, identifying any tracks and signs that we encounter, and building relationship with the natural world.

We may track for a variety of reasons; for fun, to channel the innate abilities passed down to us by our ancestors, to contribute positively to the conservation of nature, to support emotional resilience and good mental wellbeing, and to build deeper connection with the natural world.

This one-day course will offer practices, techniques and learning to offer something relevant to each of these reasons.

Key aims include:

• learning to confidently identify a range of basic tracks and signs of mammals
• learning how to plan surveys that give the greatest chances of finding all mammal species present on a site
• developing techniques for improving the use of the senses and awareness for tracking, and for building deeper relationship with the natural world
• learning how to make an accurate biological record to contribute important data for nature conservation
• engaging our sense of playful curiosity
• becoming aware of useful resources and networks for deepening learning about tracking and surveying for mammals

About Skills for All at Berrington Hall:

This course is part of Skills for All at Berrington Hall, a successfully crowdfunded project to empower, upskill and connect people in practical skills for sustainable living. Thanks to individual supporters and the Shropshire Council Shared Prosperity Community Fund, we are able to offer these places for free to people who live, work or study in Shropshire, particularly 18-25's and members of community groups.

We want to make sure that as many people as possible have this opportunity and that the course is 100% full on the day, so please only book a place if you can definitely attend, and if something changes for you it's really important that you let us know so that we can offer your place to someone else.

About your tutor, Sam:

Sam is an enthusiastic and lively ecologist, environmental educator, and tracker. She inspires curiosity and encourages mindful and playful engagement with the natural world in young and old alike. She teaches practical skills for finding and identifying clues of mammals in the natural world and provides a supportive environment for building deep connection with nature.

More info:

Please see the FAQs below and your confirmation email upon booking (do check your spam/junk folder)