The Invisible Wild
Every garden, park and wood is full of stories written in mud, snow, nibbled nuts and alarm calls. On this day you'll learn to read them.
The two days
We start with a mystery: something has visited, and it is your job to find out who. To solve it you'll first learn to see differently, using scanning and wide-angle awareness to spot the almost invisible traces animals leave behind.
Then we get down close to the ground: tracks, scat, feeding signs, runs and beds. You'll learn to read a whole scene rather than one print, work out how old a track is and recognise how different animals move from their gaits.
In the afternoon you'll try trailing an animal, following its line from sign to sign, and we'll listen to the birds, whose alarm calls often tell you a fox or sparrowhawk is on the move long before you see it.
By the end of the day the clues come together, and you'll tell the story of who passed through and what they were doing.
What we'll cover
- A garden mystery to solve
- Scanning and wide-angle awareness
- Tracks, signs and reading a scene
- Ageing tracks and animal gaits
- Trailing an animal
- Bird alarm calls
You'll leave with
- The confidence to identify common UK tracks and signs
- A way of reading a scene, not just a single print
- An ear for bird alarm calls
What to bring
- Clothes you don't mind getting muddy on your knees
- A notebook, pencil and, if you have one, a small ruler
- A phone or camera for photographing tracks (on silent)
- A packed lunch and plenty to drink
Keep going afterwards
Every course has a matching book and activity guide collection, so you can keep practising at home.
A taste of the activities
Booking and safety
Full payment secures your place. You'll be sent joining instructions and a short health and personal information form to complete before the course. Please read the terms and conditions, including the cancellation policy.
Want this course for your own group, school or team? Talk to Jay.