"Gratitude to Wild Beings, our brothers and sisters, teaching secrets, freedoms, and ways..." – Gary Snyder
mountain lion tracks along a sandy creek-bed
Join Wildtender for a four-day backpacking trip and workshop to experience and learn the fundamentals of wildlife tracking in the diverse and abundant Big Sur wilderness (ancestral homeland of the Esselen Tribe).
Wild landscapes overflow with clues about the fascinating lives and ways of the wild beings that surround us. Fresh claw marks on a tree trunk, the murmurings of birds, or muddy paw prints by the stream are invitations to deepen our understanding of, and connection to, our wild kin.
Animal tracking – the art of interpreting the landscape and its wildlife – has been a crucial survival skill for the vast majority of human history, and continues today as a living tradition. When we focus our awareness on animal tracks and signs, we step into the timeless realm of our respective land-connected ancestors. Our imagination and senses come alive as we pursue the mysteries of place, and uncover subtle and complex narratives in the land. Our sense of self expands as we track both inner and outer landscapes.
Join our cohort of curious explorers to immerse in the wild, build intimacy with the more-than-human world, and learn to read the stories of the land. Through this workshop, you can expect to learn and experience:
Identification and interpretation of animal tracks and sign
Interpretation of patterns in terrain and landscape
The fundamentals of bird language
Introduction to backpacking and wilderness skills, including discussions of environmental/stewardship ethics
Cultural and natural history of Big Sur
Key medicinal and edible plants in the landscape
Ecophilosophy
Practices of mindfulness, connection and awareness
All levels of experience are welcome; previous experience with animal tracking or backpacking is not necessary.
Meet Your Guides
MEGHAN WALLA-MURPHY
Meghan is a wildlife ecologist, masterful tracker, and a gifted instructor of adults and young people. She has spent the past 20 years dedicating herself to the art of wildlife tracking. This dedication has now become the lens through which she moves about the world. Tracking continually teaches Meghan to get out of her own way and observe what is beyond herself. It has also given her the skills to read a landscape, better understand ecology, and apply these skills to conservation and social justice challenges in her work.
FLETCHER TUCKER
Wildtender Co-Founder Fletcher was raised by the foggy redwood ravines and fragrant chaparral bluffs of the Esselen tribal territory now known as Big Sur, California. Fletcher is a lifelong student of natural history, an ancestral skills practitioner, devotee of trail-craft and minimalist backpacking, an experienced teacher of adults and children, and a multidisciplinary artist.
Fletcher’s inner work includes ongoing exploration in Zen and Taoist practices/philosophy; over a decade of study in the Gestalt lineage of Esalen Institute co-founder Dick Price; and engagement with the Earth-reverent, spiritual practices of his own Celtic and northern European ancestors.
Fletcher is a NOLS certified Wilderness First Responder.
Program Itinerary
photo by Brandon Scott Herrell
After a day of backpacking into the Big Sur wilderness, we will camp in place for three nights / four days – exploring the landscape through day hikes. On the fourth day (midday), we will hike out.*
Thursday, April 4 | After carpooling to our trailhead, we will shoulder our packs and descend into the backcountry. Our learning from the land will begin while we walk. We will look at large landscape patterns, and how plants and animals are shaping the lands we walk through. We will make camp, enjoy dinner, and connect as a cohort before bed.
Planned mileage for the day: ~7.
Planned elevation gain/loss: +900’/-1500’.
Friday, April 5 | Encamped in the wild, we will continue to engage with practices of reconnection and the art of animal tracking. Our morning will be spent exploring and enriching our awareness of this place. The afternoon will have open unscheduled time, and more rich with practices/discussion in the late afternoon.
Saturday, April 6 | Continuing to camp in place, we deepen our practice. A day-hike will take us into different reaches and niches of the backcountry; mileage/elevation for these forays will depend on the energy of the group.
Sunday, April 7 | We will begin the day with practices of reconnection and awareness, then break camp. At midday, we will ascend from our valley home, returning to the trailhead and our vehicles before nightfall.
Planned mileage for the day: ~7.
Planned elevation gain/loss: +1500’/-900’.
*Location to be confirmed closer to program start date. Please note: if the road or trail conditions in early April prevent a backcountry itinerary, this program will take place on the Big Sur coast as a camping and hiking program (no backpacking).
Program Tuition
Sliding Scale: $950 – $1,350* • REGISTER HERE
*A limited amount of scholarship may be available for this program, please inquire here.
photo by Brandon Scott Herrell
Wildtender supports amazing teachers, small businesses and organic, sustainable brands in sourcing our meals and supplies. Thank you for your supporting us with the highest investment available to you as we strive to strengthen local and sustainable economies, and compensate teachers/guides who have spent decades honing their craft and skills.
TUITION INCLUDES
Camp meals and beverages (breakfast & dinner each day)
Wilderness permits & campsite fees
Shared wilderness & safety supplies (maps, satellite communication device, water filters, cooking supplies, first aid, etc.)
Instruction in Animal Tracking, natural history & ecology, nature connection, and backpacking essentials, and relational awareness practices
Welcome packet & informative packing list to help you prepare logistically and psycho-spiritually
Preliminary phone call to address any questions or concerns
Guide fees (for Wilderness First Responder certified guides)
TUITION EXCLUDES
Travel to and from the program
Lunches and snacks on the trail (we will provide guidance for you to bring your own)
Personal backpacking equipment. A full packing list will be supplied upon registration, but here are the essential items you will definitely need to buy, borrow or rent: hiking boots, backpacking backpack, lightweight tent, lightweight sleeping bag, lightweight sleeping pad and headlamp.
Trip insurance is strongly recommended. Please read more here.
Other Information
Terms & Conditions (including registration and cancellation terms, and program requirements)