DATE: The first weekend is Saturday-Sunday, September 13-14, 2025.
TIME: Class typically runs from 9am-4pm. Please arrive by 8:45am and be prepared to start at 9am.
LOCATION: Our core location, Linne Doran, Wilderness Awareness School’s 60-acre campus, is located about fifteen minutes outside of Duvall in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. The physical address for Coho Ridge Parking Lot, our main parking area, is located at:
20121 320th Ave NE
Duvall, WA, 98019.
Once you get to the gravel road, you can follow these directions to that parking area. After parking, you will meet us at Cedar Lodge (unless noted otherwise).
Other class weekends will also include travels throughout Washington to visit a broad range of habitats, including the temperate rainforest, coastal dunes, riparian areas, deep forests, high mountains, and high deserts.
A NOTE FROM THE PROGRAM TEAM:
Thank you for registering for Wildlife Tracking Intensive. We are excited to meet you! This page contains information that you will need to prepare for this program. Please read it carefully.
If you have any questions regarding your registration, please contact Wilderness Awareness School at (425) 788-1301 or [email protected]; our office hours are 8:00am,-4:00pm, Monday through Friday.
If you have any questions about registration, refunds, or transfers, please visit our Cancellation and Transfer Policy.
Sincerely,
Mark Kang O’Higgins
Tracking Intensive Lead Instructor
Shivani Gogna
Program Manager
WHAT TO EXPECT:
We will be communicating primarily through our Google Groups list. You will receive an email communication with specific details about what to know for each weekend.
As you might expect, we will be spending time outside in a wide variety of conditions:
- Be prepared to dress in layers so that you can adjust easily (see attached gear list). We will be hiking at varying speeds (from a crawl if we are examining tracks to a fast walk to get to a specific location).
- While this class is focused, our goal is to create ideal learning conditions. There will be a mix of engaging presentations and lots of “dirt time”. We strive to balance theory with hands-on practice in a safe learning environment.
FACILITIES:
Our Linne Doran campus includes Cedar Lodge, our indoor classroom and meeting space, as well as several outdoor classrooms including a large yurt and our outdoor classroom. There are porta-potties on the property. Linne Doran has limited cell reception and no internet access.
Participants are welcome to camp on our property on Saturday evening. Accommodations are rustic. To reserve your spot to camp on our land, please register on Amilia.
If you would like more modern accommodations, there are some Airbnb/VRBO type accommodations nearby, as well as a Tolt McDonald Park (20 minutes away) for large RV set-ups. We do not have space for RV’s or for campers that are larger than a standard pickup truck.
FIELD TRIP DETAILS:
We travel to many stunning areas for this course. We will typically stay at established campgrounds with potable water, restrooms, and a place to set up your sleeping gear. There might be an occasional weekend that is deeper in the wilderness without any facilities or water.
FOOD:
Food is not provided for this course. Please bring whatever food you need for each day. Refrigeration will NOT be available or access to stoves. There are also great restaurants in town, your instructors can give you recommendations.
WHAT TO PACK:
Please bring the following items. This list is designed with your comfort and safety in mind and takes into account the variable weather possibilities during winter in Western Washington. Please note that many of the objects on your gear list are optional. You do not need to run out and buy everything on the list. See below for the required/recommended book list.
GEAR LIST
- 1-2 liters of water
- Clothing that is appropriate for the weather and can get dirty. The key to being prepared is having multiple layers that you can add/remove during the day. Depending on the time of year, this could include:
- Synthetic long underwear top and bottom (not cotton)
- Wool or fleece pants (not cotton)
- Wool or fleece jacket (not cotton)
- Rain jacket, rain pants, and rain hat
- Wool socks
- Warm hat
- Gloves
- Appropriate footwear
- Knee-high rubber boots recommended for several field sites. Closed toed shoes are required for all field locations.
- Sun protection
- Daypack for field excursions (to carry lunch, water, equipment, etc.)
CAMPING GEAR: All students will need to provide their own camping equipment and food.
- Sleeping bag and pad (with temperature rating appropriate for season)
- Tent (with rain fly and ground tarp) or other shelter
- Flashlight
- Cooking supplies (including camp stove, cooler if needed)
- Food (including lunches which can be taken into the field)
- Toiletries
- Musical instrument (optional)
TRACKING AND FIELD EQUIPMENT
- 50 popsicle sticks
- Sturdy tape measure (~10’)
- 6” ruler with metric and English measurements
- Small field notebook (“write in the rain” brand recommended)
- Pencils and pens
- Bandanna
- Watch
- Compass
- Knife
- Lighter
- Camera
- Plastic bags for collecting specimens (optional)
- Plaster casting materials (optional)
- Binoculars (optional)
- 20’ Masonry line (optional)
- Small magnifying glass (optional)
JOURNAL MATERIALS
- Artists sketch journal (5.5”x8.5” or 8.5”x11” okay, spiral bound preferable)
- Drawing pencils with a variety of hardnesses: 5B, 2B, HB, 2H
- 2” three ring binder (to hold and organize class handouts and readings)
- Drafting ruler and triangle (optional)
- Kneadable eraser (optional)
REQUIRED TEXT
*Required for the Advanced Path only
#Required for Primary Path only
- Wildlife of The Pacific Northwest: Tracking and Identifying Mammals, Birds, Reptiles, Amphibians, and Invertebrates, David Moskowitz #
- Mammal Tracks and Sign 2nd Edition, Mark Elbroch
- Animal Tracking Basics, Jon Young and Tiffany Morgan #
- Field Guide to Animal Tracks and Scat of California, Mark Elbroch et al. *
- Practical Tracking, L. Liebenberg, A. Louw, and M. Elbroch *
RECOMMENDED TEXTS
- Peterson Reference Guide to the Behavior of North American Mammals, Elbroch & Rinehart
- Animal Skulls: A Guide to North American Species, Elbroch
- Bird Tracks and Sign Mark Elbroch
- Mammals of the Pacific Northwest Coast to High Cascades, Chris Maser
- Northwest Arid Lands, O’Conner Wieda
- A Field Guide to Desert Holes, Pinau Merlin
- Wolves in the Land of Salmon, Moskowitz
- Natural History of the Pacific Northwest Mountains, Daniel Mathews
- Naming Nature: The Clash Between Instinct and Science, Carol Kaesuk Yoon
- Winter World: the Ingenuity of Animal Survival, Bernd Heinrich
- Bird Feathers: A Guide to North American Species, Scott and McFarland
- Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teaching of Plants, Robin Wall Kimmerer