Events
Trailing Practice: Sat, Sept 18
 9:00 am - 12:00 pm We will gather at the parking lot at the corner of Alta Vista Dr and Stuber Rd: Reservoir Woods Park 1901 Alta Vista Dr Roseville, MN 55113 This
is an all-weather event and we spend time off trail. There are minimal
amenities at Reservoir Woods. No drinking fountains and a single port-a-potty.
Please bring appropriate gear and dress for several hours outdoors in
whatever weather we may have that day. We
will meet at 9:00 in the parking lot. We will head out on the trail
shortly after 9:00 and return to the parking lot by 12:00 pm. If you
need to reach us the day of the outing, please call Kirsten's cell phone
at 651-785-4650. Please note that once we are trailing, our phones will be on
vibrate and we could easily miss an incoming call.
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September Tracking Club: Finding Balance
 Sunday, September 19 9:00am - 1:00pm We will gather at the Ft. Snelling State Park visitor center: Ft. Snelling State Park 101 Snelling Lake Rd West St Paul, MN 55111 We
will gather at 9:00 in the fireplace room in the Visitor Center. We
will head out on the trail about 9:15 and return to the visitor center
about noon for a brief mapping exercise and wrap-up session. If you need
to reach us the day of the outing, please call Kirsten's cell phone at 651-785-4650. Please note that cell reception is poor in much of the park. Note that you need a State Park pass to drive to the Visitor Center.
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Trailing Practice: Sat, Aug 21
 9:00 am - 12:00 pm We will gather at the parking lot at the corner of Alta Vista Dr and Stuber Rd: Reservoir Woods Park 1901 Alta Vista Dr Roseville, MN 55113This
is an all-weather event and we spend time off trail. There are minimal
amenities at Reservoir Woods. No drinking fountains and a single port-a-potty.
Please bring appropriate gear and dress for several hours outdoors in
whatever weather we may have that day. We
will meet at 9:00 in the parking lot. We will head out on the trail
shortly after 9:00 and return to the parking lot by 12:00 pm. If you
need to reach us the day of the outing, please call Kirsten's cell phone
at 651-785-4650. Please note that once we are trailing, our phones will be on
vibrate and we could easily miss an incoming call.
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August Tracking Club: Test Prep
 Sunday, August 15 9:00am - 1:00pm We will gather at the Ft. Snelling State Park visitor center: Ft. Snelling State Park 101 Snelling Lake Rd West St Paul, MN 55111 On Labor Day weekend, a group from our club will participate in a pair of CyberTracker Track & Sign Evaluations with Marcus Reynerson. Time for some final test prep! Come join us at Fort Snelling State Park as we challenge each other to identify and interpret tracks and sign and support our friends as they prepare for their evaluation. We
will gather at 9:00 in the fireplace room in the Visitor Center. We
will head out on the trail about 9:20 and return to the visitor center
about noon for a brief mapping exercise and wrap-up session. If you need
to reach us the day of the outing, please call Jon's cell phone at 612-388-4700. Please note that cell reception is poor in much of the park. Note that you need a State Park pass to drive to the Visitor Center.
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Trailing Practice: Sat, Jul 24
 9:00 am - 12:00 pm We will gather at the parking lot at the corner of Alta Vista Dr and Stuber Rd: Reservoir Woods Park 1901 Alta Vista Dr Roseville, MN 55113This
is an all-weather event and we spend time off trail. There are minimal
amenities at Reservoir Woods. No drinking fountains and a single port-a-potty.
Please bring appropriate gear and dress for several hours outdoors in
whatever weather we may have that day. We
will meet at 9:00 in the parking lot. We will head out on the trail
shortly after 9:00 and return to the parking lot by 12:00 pm. If you
need to reach us the day of the outing, please call Kirsten's cell phone
at 651-785-4650. Please note that once we are trailing, our phones will be on
vibrate and we could easily miss an incoming call.
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July Tracknig Club: Muddy Toes
 Sunday, July 18 9:00am - 1:00pm We will gather at the Ft. Snelling State Park visitor center: Ft. Snelling State Park 101 Snelling Lake Rd West St Paul, MN 55111 With our sparse rainfall, the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers are flowing well below average for July. The low water levels means more exposed mud for us to explore. Come join us at the confluence of the rivers for a half day of tracking. Come prepared to wade into the mud and find out who has been investigating the rivers edges. This is an all-weather event and we spend time off trail. Please bring appropriate footwear and dress for several hours outdoors in whatever weather we may have that day. We
will gather at 9:00 outside of the Visitor Center. We
will head out on the trail about 9:15 and return to the visitor center to wrap-up and share. If you need
to reach us the day of the outing, please call or text Jon's cell phone at
612-388-4700. Note that cell reception is poor in much of the park, and calls do not always come through. You need a State Park pass to drive to the Visitor Center. The parking lot at the Historic Fort is closed for construction.
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Trailing Practice: Sun, Jun 27
 9:00 am - 12:00 pm We will gather at the parking lot at the corner of Alta Vista Dr and Stuber Rd: Reservoir Woods Park 1901 Alta Vista Dr Roseville, MN 55113This
is an all-weather event and we spend time off trail. There are minimal
amenities at Reservoir Woods. No drinking fountains and a single port-a-potty.
Please bring appropriate gear and dress for several hours outdoors in
whatever weather we may have that day. We
will meet at 9:00 in the parking lot. We will head out on the trail
shortly after 9:00 and return to the parking lot by 12:00 pm. If you
need to reach us the day of the outing, please call Kirsten's cell phone
at 651-785-4650. Please note that once we are trailing, our phones will be on
vibrate and we could easily miss an incoming call.
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Track & Sign Workshops & Evaluations
These
two-day long Master Classes in track and sign interpretation are led by
some of the finest wildlife tracking instructors in North America. These evaluations are one of the best ways to
speed up your learning process, advance your skills, and help you
gauge your current level of expertise as a tracker. No prior training is required to participate. The best way to prepare for an evaluation is to take an evaluation. On
Labor Day weekend, we will host a pair of Standard Track & Sign Evaluation back-to-back.
Standard evaluations are ideal for all levels of trackers, from novice
to professional. Questions range from the clearest and most familiar
tracks and sign of common animals all the way to obscure sign, partial
prints, and the tracks of small or rare species. The evaluator debriefs
each question, making sure all the participant don't just know the
answer, but understand exactly why that is the answer. The evaluation
will be led by Marcus Reynerson. Cost $275 Dates: Friday & Saturday, Sep. 3-4 Sunday & Monday (Labor Day), Sep. 5-6 *We currently have openings for both sessions* Times: Evaluations typically run from 8am to 5pm on the first day and 8am to about 3pm on the second day. Exact times depend somewhat on conditions on the ground. Next Memorial Day weekend, we will host Minnesota's first ever Specialist Evaluation. Specialist
Evaluations are designed with experienced trackers in mind. Questions
focus on the tracks of small or rare species, partial footprints, and
indistinct tracks and sign that may require considerable experience to
identify. The evaluation is led by two instructors, offering
participants more evaluator contact and exposure to an even greater
depth of knowledge and perspectives. For the experienced tracker, there
is simply no better opportunity to move your skills forward than a
Specialist Evaluation. The evaluation will be led by Casey McFarland and Nate Harvey. Cost: $375 Registration is open for all three evaluations. To register, Contact Us and submit a full payment to Minnesota Wildlife Tracking Project.
You are registered for an evaluation when we receive your payment.
Because of up-front the costs associated with hosting evaluators,
registrations are transferable but not refundable. If you are unable to
attend an evaluation you have registered for, we may only be able to
offer a refund if we can fill your spot. Mail payment to Jonathan Poppele 846 Clear Ave St. Paul, MN 55106   Marcus Reynerson
is engaged in telling stories that bring to life the complexity of the
ways humans are currently living in the 21st century. He was the
Associate Producer of the conservation documentary Last Stand: The Vanishing Caribou Rainforest and a contributing author for Caribou Rainforest
by Braided River Press. Born in south Louisiana and raised in Kentucky,
Marcus currently lives in the Snoqualmie Valley in Washington State,
just east of Seattle where he is the Lead Instructor for an
internationally renowned environmental leadership program for adults at
the Wilderness Awareness School. Evaluations
will be held in and around Ft. Snelling State Park. Located in a
metropolitan are of over 1 million people, Ft. Snelling boasts
remarkable wildlife activity and diversity. The Minnesota Wildlife
Tracking Project hosts our monthly Tracking Club at Ft. Snelling, and
have recorded the tracks and sign of over 20 species of mammals there
including otter, mink, weasel, skunk, fox, opossum, and at least four
species of tree climbing squirrels. |
June Tracking Club: Standing Still
 Sunday, June 20 9:00am - 1:00pm We will gather at the Ft. Snelling State Park visitor center: Ft. Snelling State Park 101 Snelling Lake Rd West St Paul, MN 55111 The word "solstice" is Latin for "sun stands still" and refers to the points on the horizon where the sun rises and sets. For a few days around the solstice, the locations of sunrise and sunset slow their northern progression to a standstill before moving south again. The solstice marks the beginning of astronomical summer, when many animal begin to slow their rhythms down from the frenetic pace of spring. We will plan to do the same--taking a cue from the sun by slowing our movement across the landscape to take a long look at the tracks and sing we encounter. This is an all-weather event and we spend time off trail. Please bring appropriate footwear and dress for several hours outdoors in whatever weather we may have that day. We
will gather at 9:00 outside of the Visitor Center. We
will head out on the trail about 9:15 and return to the visitor center to wrap-up and share. If you need
to reach us the day of the outing, please call or text Jon's cell phone at
612-388-4700. Note that cell reception is poor in much of the park, and calls do not always come through. You need a State Park pass to drive to the Visitor Center. The parking lot at the Historic Fort is closed for construction.
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May Tracking Club: A Full Fledged Gathering
 Sunday, May 16 9:00am - 1:00pm We will gather outside the Ft. Snelling State Park visitor center: Ft. Snelling State Park 101 Snelling Lake Rd West St Paul, MN 55111 The trees are leafing out, the canopy is filling in, and early nesters are beginning to fledge. With spring in full swing, let's gather at Ft. Snelling and see what kinds of tracks and signs the local denizens are leaving behind. This is an all-weather event and we spend time off trail. Please bring appropriate footwear and dress for several hours outdoors in whatever weather we may have that day. We
will gather at 9:00 outside of the Visitor Center. We
will head out on the trail about 9:15 and return to the visitor center to wrap-up and share. If you need
to reach us the day of the outing, please call or text Jon's cell phone at
612-388-4700. Note that cell reception is poor in much of the park, and calls do not always come through. Important NotesWe will continue to encourage masks and social distancing during our gatherings, but will begin to follow the "two out of three" guideline outlined here by the New York Times. Please have a mask available and plan to wear it at any time you are less than six feet away from anyone outside your household. When maintaining social distance (blackbirds are great at teaching social distance), feel free to remove your mask.
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