Original Wisdom

January 2025 News, Stories, and Events from Original Wisdom

Kersey — Sat, 04 Jan 2025 19:01:24 +0000

Four researchers and trainers working across continents, all with a passion for trackers and tracking.

Kersey is from the USA, Jiska is from the Netherlands, and both of them currently live in South Africa. Along with Matt Nelson (USA) and Sandy Reed (USA), the Soul of Tracking team are collaborating in a long-term international Tracking Research project through the University of Cape Town, South Africa.

December 2024 Year in Review from Original Wisdom

Kersey — Sat, 04 Jan 2025 19:00:10 +0000

Team Original Wisdom, Kersey Lawrence, Lee Gutteridge, Sandy and Cal Reed, Shane Hawkins, Hillary Lisowski, Samantha Snodgrass, Ozzy Banda, would all like to wish you happy holidays and a healthy and prosperous new year. As we close another year, we want to take a moment to thank all of you who have supported and joined us in our mission. Here's to all the joys of the holiday season and to a New Year filled with hope, progress, and lots of Tracking!

Song and music by John Edmund, Story in the Sand.

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November 2024 News, Stories, and Events from Original Wisdom

Kersey — Sat, 04 Jan 2025 18:58:51 +0000

René Nauta from Holland tracks fallow deer in tough conditions in West Sussex, England. He earned his Trailing Specialist from CyberTracker Conservation, earning him the title of Senior Tracker when combined with his already achieved Track & Sign ID Specialist.

There are a number of new Specialists this month, in North America, Europe, and Africa. We'll tell you a bit about the ones that Original Wisdom was directly involved with in this newsletter. The community of skilled Trackers is gathering momentum!

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October 2024 News, Stories, and Events from Original Wisdom

Shaun Retief — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 09:36:00 +0000

Some nipped twigs taken from inside the large dung balls of an endangered black rhinoceros. We are so lucky to see these on their infrequent trails and I keep them in my pocket as "awareness reminders" of these secretive and dangerous beings.
Photo credit: Kersey Lawrence
Featured Event from South Africa:
On the Trail of Elephants: A story with Finger Lakes Community College participants from our upcoming book.
By Kersey Lawrence & Lee Gutteridge
Featured Event in North America:
Go Wild! Nature Fair in Coyote Run Fairfield Park
By Sandy Reed
Featured Event in Human Culture:
Wild Clay Pots
by Cal Reed

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September 2024 News, Stories, and Events from Original Wisdom

Kersey — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 13:31:54 +0000

What it means to be a Specialist Tracker for CyberTracker...

In the CyberTracker system for evaluating trackers, Specialist is the highest level that you can earn. Not many people pursue it, because the standard is so rigorous. It's rigorous enough to be called the "Gold Standard" for international wildlife tracking certifications. Part of the rigor comes from the fact that evaluators never know what the questions are going to be, before they walk out in the morning of a certification and encounter whatever tracks, signs, and trails that mother nature has provided. And every darn day is different.

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August 2024 News, Stories, and Events from Original Wisdom

Kersey — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 13:14:04 +0000

We just submitted the draft of our new book on the art and science of: Tracking Animals - a Guide to Trailing Wildlife, for editing to our publisher at Jacana Media. We are hoping that it will be out by the December holiday season!
In it, you'll find instructions on what to do, what not to do, and teaching stories. These stories aren't just from the authors, Lee and Kersey, but also from many of the high level trackers and evaluators in the CyberTracker Tracker Certification system.

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June 2024 News, Stories, and Events from Original Wisdom

Kersey — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 13:02:45 +0000

On the 25th of May, in the Thornybush Game Reserve of South Africa, five Master Trackers and five Senior Trackers, from Africa and North America, met after some days spent tracking together, and evenings spent discussing protocol around the campfire. During an unexpected and highly emotional ceremony, two of those Senior Trackers were awarded Master Tracker status for their decades of service to trackers and tracking.

We congratulate the world's newest Master Trackers on the Gold-Standard CyberTracker Tracker Certification System, Ekson Ndlovu and Lee Gutteridge.

Read on to find out more about this huge honor...

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May 2024 News, Stories, and Events from Original Wisdom

Kersey — Mon, 06 May 2024 13:51:55 +0000

This month's leading photo features Virginia Opossum tracks (Didelphis virginiana). The lower track with the large thumb sticking out towards the right is the left hind track, while the one above it is the left front track. The tracks were made in the fine substrate under the Mt. Vernon, Ohio bridge along the Kokosing River. This bridge was one of our stopping points for the CyberTracker Ohio Specialist Identification Certification that Original Wisdom hosted in April. Photo credit: Sandy Reed.

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April 2024 News, Stories, and Events from Original Wisdom

Kersey — Sun, 07 Apr 2024 12:29:58 +0000

Giza Mrembo, Swahili for "Beautiful Darkness," stepped into the red spotlight of the other vehicle. We saw her as a moving shadow in the night, hunting. The melanistic (black) leopardess, softly but confidently padded through the dry acacia scrubland of Laikipia Wilderness in Kenya. Without the spotlight, even in partial moonlight, she stood out, unable to hide herself against the golden soils in the open landscape.

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March 2024 News, Stories, and Events from Original Wisdom

Kersey — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 09:14:25 +0000

A relaxed female leopard lounges on the top of a large termite mound. She was in the process of dispersing from her mom (gaining her independence) in a private reserve of South Africa.

This photo was taken by by Dylan Bernstein, our Yogi Guide in February's Ashtanga Yoga, Tracking and Nature Guiding Program. Read more about this program in our Events in Africa section.

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