Why Should I Attend a Tracking Certification?
Spending two days in the field wracking your brain about 50+ track and sign questions, or testing your trailing chops following wild animals in real time, is hands down the best way to accelerate your tracking skills in a short amount of time. Whether you recieve a certification or not, and whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a beginner, these days in the field have a way of finding your edges of knowledge and giving you the tools to advance your skillset quickly.
CyberTracker Conservation and Tracker Certification North America are the tip of the spear in leading the renaissance that wildlife tracking is enjoying across the planet. And the CyberTracker certification process is at the heart of that movement. Take a look at the story here that spells out what to expect in both Track & Sign and Trailing certifications, the history of the organization, and how to get involved and become part of this community.
From Jonah Evans:
Observer Reliability
In wildlife research and monitoring, the accuracy of your data is often dependent on the skill of your field observers. When methods to collect field data require advanced skills such as identification of plants, birds, or animal tracks, it is important to know the skill levels of field staff.
The CyberTracker certification system is an established international standard for evaluating and certifying animal trackers. It has proven useful for identifying and hiring skilled trackers, evaluating collected data, and as a training tool. Becoming a certified tracker will increase your credibility and improve your skills.
Accelerated Learning
The certification process is an intensive field evaluation that emphasizes open, honest dialogue and real learning. Evaluations require two-days of field examination and participants can achieve different levels of certification based on their performance.
While the certification is in the format of a test, every question is explained in detail so all participants learn the field marks accurately identifying each track.