2022 CALENDAR

JANUARY
4-7 Jan 2022.  WATERBERG SPECIALIST COURSE in Welgevonden, South Africa, with Lee Gutteridge of Nature Guide Training and Kersey Lawrence of Original Wisdom. This is a deep dive into all the details that make up this unique Waterberg ecosystem, including Rock Art, Geology, History, Tracking, Botany, Mammals, Insects and Birds of the region. Note that prices are in South African Rands (ZAR). R2600 PER PERSON. Accommodation is R1200 per night for a chalet, or R100 per night in staff quarters. Contact kersey@originalwisdom.com or lee@natureguidetraining.com for information or to schedule training in your area. 

FEBRUARY
6-13 Feb 2022.  Białowieża (Poland): On the Trail of Europe’s Megafauna with Daniel Hansche of SpurWander and Kersey Lawrence (guest instructor). Join us on the trail of Europe’s megafauna. Poland’s Białowieża National Park is home to some of Europe’s most stunning wildlife: wolf, moose, red deer, wild boar, and the iconic European bison. This treasured forest has remained since its post-glacial return over 8,000 years ago. Contact Daniel@spurwander.com to sign up! Please note that due to the political unrest in the region this program has been postponed. 

17-22 Feb 2022. Trailing Workshop and/or Evaluation(s), Berlin, Germany, with Kersey Lawrence, hosted by Spurwander.  A 2 day evaluation, followed by a 2 day workshop and then another 2 day evaluation in the CyberTracker (Tracker Certification North America) style. See the descriptions listed above for what to expect in a workshop and/or evaluation. We will be searching for wild boar and wild boar trails on the outskirts of Berlin! Contact Daniel@spurwander.com to sign up for one, or both! Limited to 4 participants in each. POSTPONED. 

25-27 Feb 2022.  European Tracking Symposium for CyberTracker Europe.  Online.      

2 Feb – 4 Apr 2022. A Field Guides of Southern Africa (FGASA) endorsed Apprentice Field Guide Program in South Africa, exclusively provided by Nature Guide Training.  Become an entry level guide in the ecotourism industry in South Africa. Spend 60 days completely immersed in the African bush with one of the most highly qualified guides in Southern Africa as your primary teacher, wildlife author and Scout guide Lee Gutteridge. CyberTracker Senior Tracker/Evaluator Kersey Lawrence will be assisting with Tracking instruction and evaluation. All accommodation and food is included. You have the potential to earn up to 9 certificates on this program, including a CyberTracker Track & Sign Identification and a Trailing certification. Contact lee@natureguidetraining.com for information. 

APRIL
2-3 Apr 2022. CyberTracker North America, Track and Sign Identification Evaluation in Central Ohio, hosted by Sandy Reed of Original Wisdom and with Marcus Reynerson evaluating.  Limited to 10 participants. Contact sandy@originalwisdom.com for information. 

23 – 24 Apr and 31 Apr – 1 May 2022. Making Your Own Bow from Osage with Cal Reed, Pickerington, Ohio (USA). 9am to 4pm each day, . Students are led on a journey from basic to intermediate Self Bow making. A quick first bow, made from a sapling or limb, is planned for a warmup project. Once this bow is experienced, students will craft a bow from an Osage stave. Students will also make their own bowstring. Additionally, supplies will be available for making a shooting tab and protective arm guard. The class will be held over two consecutive weekends. Materials provided include wood for bows, string material, leather for shooting tab and arm guard. Tools available for you to use during class include draw benches, handsaws, spoke shaves, rasps, scrapers and sandpaper. Miscellaneous arrows will be available to try out your new creations. Prior bow making experience is helpful but not required. It takes two full weekends to complete your bow, a 4 day commitment. Limited to 6 participants. Note that these dates are designed around the Trailing Workshop and Evaluation in Ohio, listed below, so that participants can maximize their learning in these two valuable Earth Living skill sets. Contact cal@originalwisdom.com for information. 

18 – 20 Apr 2022. Trailing Workshop in Central Ohio (USA) with Kersey Lawrence. Note that the dates for the Trailing Workshop and Evaluation are mid-week. Workshop participants are invited to arrive on the evening of the 18th and the workshop will conclude by the evening of the 20th. Lodging is provided. Trailing Workshops are great opportunities for beginners and experienced trackers to sharpen their skills in following tracks & signs of an animal in order to find it! No prior experience is required. Because it is a workshop, you get direct feedback as you trail. You also benefit from small-group instruction and by learning through the experiences and feedback of others in the group. You can ask questions of each other and the instructor as they occur to you as well. Our goal is to practice following fresh whitetail deer trails, but, because we never know what we will get in nature, we sometimes trail humans or other animals, or use older trails. Kersey will also give you simple exercises and teach you a basic process that you can use at home to continue improving in your trailing skill, no matter where you live. Limited to 4 participants. Note that the dates for the Trailing Workshop and Evaluation are mid-week, and bookended by the bow-making class on either end so that participants can maximize their learning in these two valuable Earth Living skill sets. Contact kersey@originalwisdom.com to schedule trailing workshops and/or evaluations in your area of North America. 

20 – 22 Apr 2022. Trailing Evaluation in Central Ohio (USA) with Kersey Lawrence. A CyberTracker North America certification. Note that the dates for the Trailing Workshop and Evaluation are mid-week. Evaluation participants are invited to arrive in the evening of the 20th and the evaluation will be completed by the evening of the 22nd. Lodging is provided. The purpose of the Trailing Certification is to assess a tracker’s ability in two principal components of trailing: to follow and interpret tracks and signs across a landscape, and to safely approach the trail’s maker without alerting it to your presence. The species followed during a certification depends on the species available at the venue, with consideration given to the difficulty of the substrate and terrain. Our goal is to follow fresh whitetail deer trails, but, because we never know what we will get in nature, we might trail humans or other animals, or use older trails. No prior experience is required but having some experience is helpful. You can learn a lot just by watching the tracker who is “on-point,” if you pay careful attention and combine it with what you hear at the end of the certification in the debriefing. Limited to 4 participants. Contact kersey@originalwisdom.com to schedule trailing workshops and/or evaluations in your area of North America. 

25 – 28 Apr 2022. Trailing Workshop in West Virginia (USA) with Kersey Lawrence. Lodging is provided. Workshop participants are invited to arrive on the evening of the 25th and the workshop will conclude by the evening of the 27th. Trailing Workshops are great opportunities for beginners and experienced trackers to sharpen their skills in following tracks & signs of an animal in order to find it! No prior experience is required. Because it is a workshop, you get direct feedback as you trail. You also benefit from small-group instruction and by learning through the experiences and feedback of others in the group. You can ask questions of each other and the instructor as they occur to you as well. Our goal is to practice following fresh whitetail deer trails, but, because we never know what we will get in nature, we sometimes trail humans or other animals, or use older trails. Kersey will also give you simple exercises and teach you a basic process that you can use at home to continue improving in your trailing skill, no matter where you live. Limited to 4 participants. Contact kersey@originalwisdom.com to schedule trailing workshops and/or evaluations in your area of North America. 

27 – 29 Apr 2022. Trailing Evaluation in West Virginia (USA) with Kersey Lawrence. A CyberTracker North America certification. Lodging is provided. Evaluation participants are invited to arrive in the evening of the 27th and the evaluation will be completed by the evening of the 29th. The purpose of the Trailing Certification is to assess a tracker’s ability in two principal components of trailing: to follow and interpret tracks and signs across a landscape, and to safely approach the trail’s maker without alerting it to your presence. The species followed during a certification depends on the species available at the venue, with consideration given to the difficulty of the substrate and terrain. Our goal is to follow fresh whitetail deer trails, but, because we never know what we will get in nature, we might trail humans or other animals, or use older trails. No prior experience is required but having some experience is helpful. You can learn a lot just by watching the tracker who is “on-point,” if you pay careful attention and combine it with what you hear at the end of the certification in the debriefing. Limited to 4 participants. Contact kersey@originalwisdom.com to schedule trailing workshops and/or evaluations in your area of North America. 

MAY
9-13 May 2022.  Yellowstone Ecosystem Expedition (focus: bear ecology and viewing), Yellowstone National Park, WY and MT (USA). Co-led between Original Wisdom (Kersey Lawrence and guest Lee Gutteridge), Yellowstone WolfTracker (Nathan Varley and Linda Thurston), and A Naturalist’s World (Dr. Jim Halfpenny). Contact kersey@originalwisdom.com to discuss an educational or research program for your organization. 

Dates To Be Determined: Tracker Training (both Track & Sign Identification and Trailing) in The Boundary Waters, Minnesota, and Isle Royale, Michigan (USA), with Kersey Lawrence and Lee Gutteridge. Contact kersey@originalwisdom.com to discuss an educational or research program for your organization. 

JUNE
JUN 2022.  An academic program in South Africa for Hopkinton High School (New Hampshire).  Students will travel to South Africa for 2 weeks in various reserves with activities designed for learning about the local ecology and culture. They will immerse themselves learning wildlife tracking techniques with CyberTracker Senior Tracker/Evaluators Kersey Lawrence and Lee Gutteridge while exploring the Greater Kruger area. Time can also be spent in Johannesburg for cultural and historic visits to such places as the Cradle of Humankind, the Apartheid Museum, Nelson Mandela’s home and Soweto (per faculty arrangement). Participants must be willing to camp in tents, enjoy all types of weather, work well with others, have a sense of adventure and the ability to embrace the unexpected. A CyberTracker Track & Sign Identification Evaluation is included, as well as food and accommodation. Note: this program can enroll participants from outside the Hopkinton school district with their permission, contact us if you are interested. Contact kersey@originalwisdom.com to discuss an educational or research program for your organization. 

JULY
JUL 2022. An academic program in South Africa for New Albany High School (Ohio).  Students will travel to South Africa for 2 weeks in various reserves with activities designed for learning about the local ecology and culture. They will immerse themselves learning wildlife tracking techniques with CyberTracker Senior Tracker/Evaluators Kersey Lawrence and Lee Gutteridge while exploring the Greater Kruger area. Time can also be spent in Johannesburg for cultural and historic visits to such places as the Cradle of Humankind, the Apartheid Museum, Nelson Mandela’s home and Soweto (per faculty arrangement). Participants must be willing to camp in tents, enjoy all types of weather, work well with others, have a sense of adventure and the ability to embrace the unexpected. A CyberTracker Track & Sign Identification Evaluation is included, as well as food and accommodation. Contact kersey@originalwisdom.com to discuss an educational or research program for your organization. 

AUGUST
Aug 2022. South African Tracking Intensive – An 11 night/12 day program of intensive track and sign identification and interpretation instruction, trailing instruction, and animal observation in a completely wild ecosystem open to the vast Kruger park. A CyberTracker Track & Sign Identification Evaluation is included, as well as food and accommodation. No previous experience is required, and an average level of fitness is expected. There will be an interview process by phone or e-mail to ensure that you are a good-fit for this program. Maximum of 8 participants. Contact kersey@originalwisdom.com to discuss an educational or research program for your organization. 

AUG 2022. South African Ecology Expedition for Aberdeen University (Scotland). Private academic group, closed to the public. A CyberTracker Track & Sign Identification Evaluation is included, as well as food and accommodation. Contact kersey@originalwisdom.com to discuss an educational or research program for your organization. 

SEPTEMBER
2 Sep – 31 Oct 2022. A Field Guides of Southern Africa (FGASA) endorsed Apprentice Field Guide Program in South Africa, exclusively provided by Nature Guide Training.  Become an entry level guide in the ecotourism industry in South Africa. Spend 60 days completely immersed in the African bush with one of the most highly qualified guides in Southern Africa as your primary teacher, wildlife author and Scout guide Lee Gutteridge. CyberTracker Senior Tracker/Evaluator Kersey Lawrence will be assisting with Tracking instruction and evaluation. All accommodation and food is included. You have the potential to earn up to 9 certificates on this program, including a CyberTracker Track & Sign Identification and a Trailing certification. Contact lee@natureguidetraining.com for information. 

NOVEMBER
Nov 2022. Trailing Workshops and CyberTracker North America Trailing Evaluations in Cable, WI, USA.  Learn the Trailing aspect (following tracks and signs to find animals) of Tracking in the CyberTracker Tracker Certification system through a series of workshops and evaluations in the region of the Clam Lake elk herd. Featuring instruction and evaluation from CyberTracker Senior Tracker/Evaluator Kersey Lawrence. We rent a cozy cabin for the programs (shared rooms and bathrooms), with a full kitchen for you to prepare your own meals. Travel to and from the program start and finish is not included. Contact kersey@originalwisdom.com to schedule trailing workshops and/or evaluations in your area of North America.  

Nov 2022. The Saola Foundation, Laos. CyberTracker Senior Tracker/Evaluator Lee Gutteridge heads to Laos for 30 days to assist with recovery of the rarest large mammal on Earth.  

DECEMBER

Dec 2022. Tanzania (Privately guided group by Kersey Lawrence and Lee Gutteridge, closed to the public). Contact kersey@originalwisdom.com to discuss an educational or research program for your organization.

Don’t forget about our correspondence and online Tracking courses at TrackerMentoring.com

Contact us for information on any of our programs, or to design an educational or research-based program for you in Africa, North America, or wherever else you are in the world!