Summer Wildlife Tracking
with Cedar Mathers-Winn
Tracking is not just a winter activity - the warm season gives us the opportunity to appreciate more subtle sign that may be covered in snow through winter. In this class, we'll investigate tracks left in mud, as well as other types of animal sign - on trees, logs, and the ground. Wildlife sign in summer more subtle and elusive, and will open up worlds that have been hidden plain sight all along. We will start with a 30-min lecture on tracks and trails, then spend the rest of the session in the field, exploring sign in the field. Bring sunscreen and come curious!
In this workshop you will:
- identify tracks in mud/dust/sand
- interpret a range of animal sign other than tracks
- learn what animals are up to this time of year, and the traces this leaves on the land
DETAILS:
Date: SUNDAY, August 10, 2025, 10:30AM to 3PM
Meet at Jack Creek Preserve’s Outdoor Education Center
Cost: $30 per person
We will be hiking 0.5-2 miles and spending 2-3 hours outside in summer conditions
Bring your own lunch, water, snacks, and winter gear
We are capping the event at 16 people
About the instructor, Cedar Mathers-Winn: Cedar is a naturalist, biologist, and educator based in Bozeman, MT. He has a Master’s degree in Ecology, and has studied animal behavior in deserts, rainforests, and mountains around the world. He has taught undergraduates, professional scientists, and the public in a great variety of topics in biology and natural history. His mission is to show how common subtleties of nature open up worlds of wildness – always there but hidden in plain sight.
