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Join us for a four-day get-away in a spectacular Sky Island setting with Sky Island Alliance staff for our renowned wildlife tracking workshop! Participants gain hands-on field instruction and theory in a variety of skills and techniques, including:

• Natural history and conservation of regional animal species, with emphasis on the jaguar, Mexican gray wolf, ocelot, black bear, mountain lion, bobcat, white-nose coati, Mexican opossum, badger, desert tortoise, and box turtle;
• Wildlife track morphology, structure and terminology;
• Photo documentation;
• Motion-activated wildlife camera monitoring techniques;
• Track casting and tracing techniques;
• Animal gaits and movement; and,
• Hands-on experience with track identification in the field.

LOCATION:
This workshop will be held at The Nature Conservancy’s Guesthouse in Aravaipa Canyon Preserve, 50 miles northeast of Tucson, Arizona (approximately 3 to 3.5 hours drive from Tucson or Phoenix). During the workshop, we will take the opportunity to gather wildlife tracking data for Aravaipa Canyon Preserve. “Not only does the ranch sit over the main aquifer that supplies Aravaipa Creek, it’s also an important corridor for wildlife traveling from the Galiuro Mountains to the Santa Teresa Mountains,” says the Preserve’s manager, Mark Haberstich. “We’ve actually seen elk on the preserve” — a rarity at the site’s elevation of 3,300 feet.

TRIP SCHEDULE:

• 12 Noon Thursday: Participants have the option of meeting us at the Sky Island Alliance offices (406 S 4th Ave) at 12 pm on Thursday to catch a ride or carpool/caravan to the Aravaipa guesthouse.
• 4 PM Thursday: Participants that wish to provide their own transportation to the guesthouse (high clearance vehicles recommended) should arrive around 4 pm.
• 3 PM Sunday: Our workshop will be wrapped up, and participants will be on their way home.
• 6 PM Sunday: Participants riding back to Tucson with SIA will be returned to our offices by 6 pm on Sunday, perhaps earlier.

WHAT TO EXPECT:
We will have a limited number of beds available, with plenty of spots for tent camping available as well. The guesthouse is equipped with a full kitchen, but fridge space can become limited so bring a cooler, just in case. There are also indoor bathrooms/showers available, but be conscious of everyone’s needs and don’t plan on lengthy showers.

Campsites are grassy areas located at the guesthouse and are vehicle accessible. High clearance vehicles are recommended. Aravaipa Creek is only a short walk away from the camping area. Potable water is available; water from area creeks should be treated prior to consumption.

SIA will not be providing any meals during this trip; you will need to bring enough food and water for breakfast, packable lunches, dinners, and any snacks you desire. This means that you will want to be prepared with nine meals: from Thursday dinner to Sunday lunch.

The majority of the weekend will be spent outdoors and you can expect to spend time sitting, and walking or strolling along wet creeks and dry riverbeds as we look for tracks and other wildlife sign. We provide some blocks of free time, but the schedule calls for long days, starting around 8am and ending around 7 or 8 at night.

All course materials are included. You will receive Mark Elbroch’s field guide Mammal Tracks and Sign: A Guide to North American Species, a tracking ruler, laminated wildlife track identification field cards, and a workshop packet.

PLEASE NOTE:
No dogs or pets are allowed on this trip. Participants are required to sign our volunteer release form. Youth ages 13-17 are welcome if joined by an accompanying adult. Workshop registration will close one week before the first date of the workshop, or when full.

***Cancelation policy: Due to the limited space availability for this particular workshop, we cannot provide refunds for cancelation. However, we can accept substitutions. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

For more information, please contact Bryon Lichtenhan, Field Coordinator, at [email protected], or 520-624-7080 ext 27.

TO REGISTER, CLICK HERE!