Tracking and the Art of Observation - Fundamentals
What you'll learn
- At the end of this course, students will be able to fully observe the environment around them while remaining fully present in that moment. You will be able to follow an identified quarry across the landscape and glean information regarding that quarry from the many sign and marks it leaves behind it. You will understand how to train your skills of observation and to use various equipment to both observe and track more efficiently. Ultimately you will be able to immerse yourself in the natural world with deeper and more meaningful understanding. You will also be capable of building on your skills to assist in search & rescue, law enforcement or military applications of the art of tracking.
Requirements
- There are no course prerequisites for this course.
Description
Tracking is the art of being able to track a human being or animal by the many signs and marks (sign) left on the ground and surroundings after their passage through an area. It is one of the most ancient of skills, mastered by our human ancestors as they relied on it to hunt and procure food. Many traditional cultures still practice this art but regrettably it is slowly dying out.
The course is ideal for anyone involved in search and rescue teams as employing tracking skills allows search areas to be reduced and efforts to be refined when searching for lost persons. Tracking teams can supplement ground and aerial searches and are used extensively as a vital component of search and rescue efforts.
People with an interest in observing nature, monitoring or photographing wildlife will benefit from the skills taught on the course as animal behaviour is discussed among other topics. Anyone seeking a more intimate understanding of the natural environment in any respect will gain much from the observation and perceptual training presented during the course.
Who this course is for:
- Anyone who wants to learn to use their senses more fully, engage with nature more meaningfully or is involved in wildlife research, search and rescue, law enforcement or military occupations.
Instructor
Rich P Hungerford is a former Australian SAS soldier, team leader and instructor who now teaches survival, tracking and bushcraft skills at his Bush Lore Survival School in Queensland, Australia.
This modern day warrior seeks to pass on his extensive experience to people with the aim of fostering within them a true sense of self-reliance and empowering them through the platforms of emotional intelligence, common sense and awareness of their personal strengths and limitations.
Rich teaches a process of 'Absolute Survival' be that in the wilderness, the urban jungle or on the battlefield. His aim is to equip people with the skills, knowledge and wisdom to survive anything anywhere. He teaches techniques and methodologies that are reliable, replicable and devoid of unnecessary complication. 'Keep it simple stupid' is his guiding principle to ensure that what he teaches works under the dynamic stress of life and death situations.
With over twenty-five years of professional survival and tracking experience Rich has accumulated a wealth of knowledge and has been there and done it. Accordingly, survival is not just a hobby or an interest for Rich, it is what he does. He has sought to successfully blend both the military, the traditional and the naturalist perspectives in a way that offers course participants access to a unique depth of knowledge in survival, tracking and combative skills.
Rich continues to explore his passion for the natural environment, to train, develop survival systems and enjoys passing on his experience to others. He lives in rural Australia with his wife and daughters.