This course is designed for beginning and intermediate trackers. Applicants involved in some aspect of wildlife conservation are given precedence in admission.

Not necessarily. In-person classes offered by top-notch tracking schools provide a much more well-rounded experience. Our courses are primarily intended for persons who have yet to have the opportunity to attend such classes. We suggest interested persons look at the list of tracking schools at NatureTracking.

No. Most of our questions are based on photographs of partial and obscure tracks and require short essay answers.

No. We focus on species found in San Diego County because we have thousands of photographic examples of tracks and signs from that area. The approach we use to track & sign identification applies to species from any region. Our students have come from as far away as Mexico, Canada, and Europe.

We give precedence to applicants currently contributing to wildlife conservation or who intend to apply track & sign identification to some aspect of wildlife conservation. This can be as simple as being a member of iNaturalist, volunteering at an animal shelter, or helping with beach cleanups. A wide range of activities qualify. We have found that people involved in wildlife conservation make the most serious and dedicated students.

This course emphasizes detailed observation and objective comparison of the track features of multiple species to come to a conclusion in track & sign identification. It is highly analytical.

The quality of T&S identification skills cannot be predicted. Students who complete the course will have acquired skills in using multi-factor analysis in track & sign identification. However, students must supplement their learning with time in the field. Students with the strongest interest and who consistently take the initiative to track in the field become the best trackers. This is true whether or not they take our course. Our course accelerates a particular learning phase for such individuals.

Students who follow instructions, answer all exercise questions, and respond to all follow-up questions receive a completion certificate. Alumns are entitled to observe, without interaction, future offerings of the course.

The cost of the course is currently $75, although Southwest Wildlife Online Tracking Training reservses the right to change the cost at any time. The student fees for the course are used to cover operating costs. Funds recieved beyond these costs are used to defray the fees for financially disadvantaged students, to partially cover the cost to host Cybertracker evaluations, or else are be contributed to CTNA. Each instructor's participation is voluntary. They receive no financial remuneration.

Requests for admission or information about admission should be sent to the following email address.

Please include the following information.

• Your name
• Email address
• A description of your experience or intentions related to wildlife conservation.

July 31, 2023.

July 17, 2023, is the last day tuition can be refunded for the class that begins on July 31, 2023. It is too late to attempt to recruit additional students after July 17, 2023, and we must receive enough tuition payments to cover our annual operating costs by then.

Go to the "Find a Tracker" tab on the Cybertracker North America website to search the tracker databases to verify the certification levels of the instructors.