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Training Course at the Wolf College
July 25-30 (2010)

Backcountry Trackers

Interpreting Wildlife Tracks, Understanding Bird Voices,
and an introduction to Search & Rescue on the Pacific Coast

Base Camp: Kalaloch Campground on the Pacific Coast in the Olympic National Park

Transportation Provided from SeaTac & Portland Int'l Airports,
and from Sand Creek Park: 72 Wenzel Slough Rd, Elma, WA

Lead instructor Chris Chisholm and student enjoying a bear track during one of the first tracking workshops he held in 1997.

No Prerequisite; Current Enrollment: Open/Available for Adults (16-106) while our Secrets of the Ancient Scout and GeoJourney youth camps run simultaneously. Print out an application form which has the whole schedule listed, and send it in the mail with your deposit; or Email or call us at 425-248-0253 with questions.

Lead Instructor: Chris Chisholm

Few people can understand the language of the birds and follow tracks that animals leave behind. This week you will develop the eyes of a tracker and the ears of a bird. Become a detective in order to follow clues and solve mysteries that would otherwise have gone unnoticed in nature. Amazingly, animals reveal themselves to all who can read their stories in the earth. As you will see, tracks can tell us about the size, health, emotions, history and even intentions of animals which would otherwise remain hidden all around us. Never feel alone in the forest again as you learn to communicate and understand the sights and sounds which birds use to point out predators, to quarrel with their neighbors, or to sing with appreciation. This week you will enter the world of animals, becoming that which you follow.

For those who have some wildlife study experience, the week will be a time to go much deeper into the mysteries of animal tracking and bird language. Learn basic 'pressure releases' that tell many more details about the maker of the track, and learn the categories of advanced bird language enhanced by Wolf Camp founder and your personal guide Chris Chisholm. We'll test this theory of bird language, sending people out to act in various ways to see whether we can accurately interperet the reactions of the birds. You can stay up all night scoping animals, and further your "hunting" skills by attempting to photograph animals, including mammals and birds. We'll also put our skills to the test as your team engages in scenarios track down missing people and 'escaped criminals'. And get ready for an all day mission to solve a detective mystery involving animals and people, ultimately rescuing a person trapped in the woods. You will also review the basics of Wilderness First Aid this week so that if you ever really have to search for lost or injured people back home, you will know how to rescue them. We'll have a live dog handler with us all week who will also demonstrate the applications of canines on searches.

This camp session starts at Pacific Ocean at Kalaloch Campground in the Olympic National Park, and activities covered during this camp session include, but are not limited to the following list, and are somewhat dependent on weather, instructor descretion, camper desire, and serendipity:

• Saturday: Planning & Packing, Sensory Awareness, Mapping the Trip.
• Sunday: Intro to Navigation & Wilderness Camping, Old Growth Forest Ecology.
• Monday: Shoreline Ecology, Small Peak Hiking.
• Tuesday: Intensive Tracking, Nature Journaling & Drawing.
• Wednesday: Complete Activities List Written Below.
• Thursday: Return Journey, Feasting & Storytelling.
• Friday: Leaving No Trace, Closing Circle and Family Presentations

The goal of the Introductory Level is to bring you to a deeper understanding of the natural world. If you are a novice to wilderness camping and navigation, then this is the perfect opportunity to gain experience and comfort living in what many people think are scary circumstances: tenting in all kinds of weather; sharing space with black bears; finding your way off trail in the wilderness; etc. We will follow the best protocol for safe wilderness camping, including how to hang or otherwise cache foods, how to read topographical maps to find hidden wilderness, how to select the best hiking and camping gear while spending the least money; and of course, how to practice all the basic earth skills since that is our specialty. Skills covered during this camp session include, but are not limited to the following list, and are somewhat dependent on instructor preference and camper readiness, plus weather and serendipity:

• Sensory Awareness & Stealthy Movement
• Understanding Birds & Mammals of the Pacific Coast
• Understanding Insects, Beetles, Arachnids, Anthropods, Reptiles & Amphibians
• Understanding specific ways that animals depend on certain plant communities for their survival.
• Understanding the issues of threatened fishes, as well as marine mammals if time allows.
• Tracking down animals and document their presence, including insects, beetles, arachnids, and anthropods, as well as birds and mammals.
• Mimmicking at least 10 birds, including their song, alarm calls, companion calls, and aggression calls.
• Articulating the needs of animals, both in writing and public speaking, especially regarding the endangered species of your region.
• Managing a survey of animals to ensure how many are in an area.
• Camoflaging yourself and your documenting gear in any environment.
• Finding lost people and rescue them via extraction and first aid.
• Communicating clearly and working well with teams.

The goal of the Experienced Level is to help you become comfortable camping and hiking in any regional wilderness, while also teaching you about the natural history of the region. If you are already comfortable camping and navigating in the wilderness, then you will fully enjoy this week as we visit one of the last unprotected, low elevation, old growth temperate rainforests, and then proceed from there to the top edge of subalpine old growth forests and beautiful alpine lakes which sport incredible blueberry wildflower fields. We will simultaneously be learning to identify birds and other animals there while collecting wild edible plants that specialize in those habitats. Underlying all our activities will be the development of personal journals which will include guided sketching and field notes, plus free-form compositions of poetry and music and prose. Skills covered during this camp session include, but are not limited to the following list, and are somewhat dependent on instructor preference and camper readiness:

• Tracking & Birding
• Sensory Awareness & Stealthy Movement
• Wild Edible & Medicinal Plants
• Firemaking & Fire Maintenance
• Natural Water Purification
• Cordage Making
• Singing, Playing Instruments.
• Drawing, Naturalist Journaling.
• Artistic Compositions of Choice.
• Campfires, Storytelling.
• Camp Cooking.
• Camping & Hiking.
• Orienteering Challenge.
• Original Outdoor Games.
• Rabbitsticks, Knife Carving.