All Adult Classes
2026
Saturday, May 16 and Sunday, May 17, 2026
Location:
Port Townsend and surrounding area
Instructor:
David Moskowitz
Spend two days in the field with professional wildlife tracker, naturalist, and educator David Moskowitz in this Cybertracker certification course (www.cybertracker.org). David has an approach that is highly interactive, with "test" questions starting in the first moments of class. He actively engages participants in identification and interpretation of tracks and signs, and allows plenty of time for questions and discussion. This style is an excellent way to learn and investigate whether or not you answer enough questions correctly to attain a Cybertracker Track & Sign Certification.
Certificates are awarded on three levels.
Class size is limited to 10 people
Lodging and food not provided.
This class fills quickly— early registration recommended.
Note: No experience is necessary to take this course, but some understanding of tracking is helpful.
Tuition:
$350
Ages:
18+, or 16+ with parent enrollment
Financial Assistance: TCNA (Tracker Certification North America) has limited funds to provide financial access, particularly to participants from historically marginalized communities (e.g., BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, women) and anyone who needs financial support. Participants can apply for financial access here.
What is Cybertracker Conservation? This system started off as a software program designed to help South African indigenous trackers, who could not read or write, gather wildlife data for conservation efforts. While the evaluation is an excellent measure of observer reliability, what’s more, it is an unparalleled training tool in the field of wildlife tracking and natural history. It is the international tracking gold standard certifying people in Africa, Europe, and North America, with thousands of people having been certified in the United States alone. Learn more at www.trackercertification.com.
WILDLIFE TRACK AND SIGN CERTIFICATION
May 16 and 17, 2026
Spend two days in the field with professional wildlife tracker, naturalist, and educator David Moskowitz in this Cybertracker certification course (www.cybertracker.org). David actively engages participants in identification and interpretation of tracks and signs, and allows plenty of time for questions and discussion.
Spring Session
May 2
10:00am - 3:00pm
Fall Session
November 7
10:00am - 3:00pm
Location:
Sequim, WA
Instructor:
Katy Bowman
Step outside the kitchen to discover how satisfying—and surprisingly refined—outdoor cooking can be. This class goes far beyond campout staples, and focuses on making excellent food in outdoor settings using simple tools and technique.
Participants will learn to cook balanced, flavorful meals over open fire and coals, exploring cast iron cooking, baking, and elevated stick-roasting methods that turn a humble campfire into a gourmet workspace. We’ll cover fire management, heat control, timing, and food safety, along with practical tips for prep and cleanup in outdoor environments.
Expect hands-on instruction, shared meals, and recipes you’ll actually want to cook again—whether you’re backpacking, camping, or enjoying a backyard fire. No prior outdoor cooking experience required, just curiosity and an appetite. We will be cooking both meat and vegetarian items, and can accommodate gluten and dairy free needs. Come hungry!
Each session will feature different fare inspired by the season.
What to Bring:
your favorite kitchen knife
cutting board
plenty of water to drink
Tuition:
$175 for each session
$325 when registering for both Spring and Fall
Ages:
13+ (under 18 must be accompanied by a registered adult)
BEYOND HOT DOGS AND MARSHMALLOWS: OUTDOOR COOKING CLASSES
Spring Session - May 2, 2026
Fall Session - November 7, 2026
This class introduces the art of creative outdoor cooking, transforming simple tools and open fire into a space for thoughtful, flavorful meals. Expect hands-on learning, shared seasonal dishes, and practical techniques you can use anywhere from the backcountry to your backyard.
June 13 and 14, 2026
9:00am - 4:00pm
Location:
Northwest Olympic Peninsula
Instructor:
Andrew Stratton
Spend two days exploring the hidden world of the Peninsula’s largest apex predator with Olympic Cougar Project’s Andrew Stratton. This introductory field course offers a rare opportunity to see how cougars shape—and move through—their wild landscapes. Through field outings, guided discussions, and hands-on exercises, you’ll gain a grounded understanding of cougar ecology, behavior, and the conservation challenges they face. We’ll also cover practical, community-focused ways to live responsibly in cougar country.
Topics include:
Tracking fundamentals: identifying cougar sign and interpreting behavior
Trail-camera use and evidence interpretation
GPS tools for mapping territories and movement
Reading wildlife corridors in fragmented landscapes
Anatomy and interpretation of a mountain lion kill site
Best practices for encounters and coexistence
Perfect for naturalists, hikers, land stewards, and anyone interested in deepening their understanding of these remarkable animals.
Tuition:
$355 (includes state sales tax)
Ages:
16+ (minors must be accompanied by a registered adult)
COUGARS OF THE OLYMPIC PENINSULA: A WEEKEND INTENSIVE
June 13 and 14, 2026
Explore the hidden world of the Peninsula’s apex predator in this two-day introductory field course led by the Olympic Cougar Project’s Andrew Stratton. Through hands-on tracking, field outings, and practical tools for coexistence, you'll gain a grounded understanding of cougar ecology, behavior, and the challenges these animals face in a changing landscape.
Saturday, August 1 and Sunday, August 2
9:00am - 4:00pm
Location:
Northwest Olympic Peninsula
Instructor:
Andrew Stratton
An exclusive opportunity to gain hands-on field experience in a small group (maximum of 6 participants), guided by regional expert Andrew Stratton from the Olympic Cougar Project.
Enhance your skills in tracking and trailing wildlife with this comprehensive course which provides in-depth training on identifying and following animal trails, understanding behavioral signs, and utilizing tracking tools effectively.
Throughout the program, participants will learn to:
Identify Tracks and Sign: Accurately recognize and interpret animal tracks, scat, and other indicators of wildlife presence.
Follow Trails: Develop techniques for tracking animals through various terrains and environmental conditions.
Understand Animal Behavior: Gain insights into the habits and movements of different species, improving your ability to predict their behavior and movements.
Aging and Event Sequencing: Develop skills to age tracks and sequence events, allowing you to place animal activities within a timeline.
Use Tracking Tools: Learn to effectively use tools such as track identifiers, field guides, and GPS for accurate tracking.
This intensive course combines theoretical knowledge with practical field exercises, ensuring participants acquire the skills needed for both recreational tracking and professional wildlife monitoring. Join us to deepen your understanding of wildlife and enhance your trailing and tracking expertise.
Tuition:
$325
Ages:
16+ (minors must be accompanied by a registered adult)
WILDLIFE TRAILING INTENSIVE
August 1 and 2, 2026
Join regional expert Andrew Stratton of the Olympic Cougar Project for an intensive, small-group course focused on the art of trailing wildlife. Hone your ability to follow animal trails, interpret subtle signs, and understand behavior to elevate your field skills to the next level.
Saturday and Sunday, September 19 and 20, 2026
9:00am - 3:00pm
Location:
Nordland, WA
Instructor:
Nyn Tomkins
Expand your wildlife tracking and observation skills by spending the weekend diving into the study of mammal bones! This class will offer both an introduction to the anatomy of mammal bones while bringing in advanced concepts of how the structure of bones informs its function. The focus will be on parts of the skeleton that are most applicable to field skills in wildlife tracking and observation. The class will be geared towards folks who are completely new to bone anatomy as well as advanced students.
So much of how we relate to the world is expressed in our bones. We will cover foot morphology and how that applies to wildlife tracking as well as what makes each of the bones of the limb unique, helping to deepen field skills in bone identification. We will learn how to look at skulls and gain insights into an animal’s life based on the shape of the skull.
The class will be a mix of lecture presentations, facilitated exercises with bones and hands on time with a diverse array of specimens.
What to Bring:
notebook and pen
lunch, water
Tuition:
$285
Ages:
18+
APPLIED MAMMAL BONE ANATOMY FOR WILDLIFE TRACKERS AND NATURALISTS
September 19 and 20. 2026 — NEW DATE!
Spend a hands-on weekend exploring the fascinating world of mammal bones and what they reveal about an animal’s life and behavior. Blending lecture, guided exercises, and up-close time with real specimens, this class builds both foundational and advanced skills in wildlife tracking through the lens of bone structure and function.
Saturday, September 26 and Sunday, September 27
10:00am - 4:00pm
Location:
Cappy’s Trails CedarRoot Base Camp
Instructor:
Jason Knight
Ages of Participants:
Adults and families with children 10+ (children must accompanied by a registered adult)
Learn life-saving wilderness survival skills: how to make natural shelters, purify water primitively, make fire from friction, and find wild edible foods. This class is a combination of practical knowledge, demonstrations, and hands-on experience with each of the skills.
Wilderness survival skills also teach concepts useful in the event of a natural disaster, and enhance connections to nature and our ancient human roots. Gain the know-how and skills needed to meet basic wilderness survival challenges, while enjoying a fun weekend of learning.
In this course you will:
Build a primitive survival shelter
Make a bow drill fire kit
Learn about tracking skills for survival
Make a primitive survival trap
Identify and sample wild edible plants
Discover survival water purification techniques
What to Bring:
Warm, comfortable outdoor clothing (dress in layers)
Rain gear (jacket, rain-pants, and boots)
Bag lunches for Saturday and Sunday, which can be carried in a backpack and does not require cooking
Sturdy carving knife, with a fixed blade 3 to 5 inches long (Mora knives are an excellent option, and they are available for purchase from the instructor for $40)
Backpack (for carrying lunch, extra layers of clothing, knife, etc…)
Tuition:
$335 (includes materials fee and state sales tax)
*Youth in our school-year programs receive 50% off!*
WILDERNESS SURVIVAL SKILLS WEEKEND COURSE
September 26 and 27, 2026
This course teaches essential wilderness survival skills such as building shelters, making fire, purifying water, tracking, trapping, and identifying wild edible plants through hands-on learning. Participants gain practical knowledge useful for outdoor adventures or natural disasters while deepening their connection to nature and ancestral practices.
For description and full details click on the green button at the bottom of the page.
OLYMPIC PENINSULA TRACKING IMMERSION — APEX PREDATOR
October 2026-May 2027 (except for January)
The Olympic Peninsula tracking immersion involves seven weekends over eight months of intense concentrated skills, utilizing one of the largest cougar projects in the world as our curriculum’s cornerstone! Our highly trained staff will take you on monthly adventures through many amazing ecosystems in and around the Olympic mountains. Participants will receive hands-on training covering all of the fundamentals of wildlife tracking.
Saturday, October 17 and Sunday, October 18, 2026
Location:
Port Townsend and surrounding area
Instructor:
David Moskowitz
Spend two days in the field with professional wildlife tracker, naturalist, and educator David Moskowitz in this Cybertracker certification course (www.cybertracker.org). David has an approach that is highly interactive, with "test" questions starting in the first moments of class. He actively engages participants in identification and interpretation of tracks and signs, and allows plenty of time for questions and discussion. This style is an excellent way to learn and investigate whether or not you answer enough questions correctly to attain a Cybertracker Track & Sign Certification.
Certificates are awarded on three levels.
Class size is limited to 10 people
Lodging and food not provided.
This class fills quickly— early registration recommended.
Note: No experience is necessary to take this course, but some understanding of tracking is helpful.
Tuition:
$385 (includes state sales tax)
Ages:
18+, or 16+ with parent enrollment
Financial Assistance: TCNA (Tracker Certification North America) has limited funds to provide financial access, particularly to participants from historically marginalized communities (e.g., BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, women) and anyone who needs financial support. Participants can apply for financial access here.
What is Cybertracker Conservation? This system started off as a software program designed to help South African indigenous trackers, who could not read or write, gather wildlife data for conservation efforts. While the evaluation is an excellent measure of observer reliability, what’s more, it is an unparalleled training tool in the field of wildlife tracking and natural history. It is the international tracking gold standard certifying people in Africa, Europe, and North America, with thousands of people having been certified in the United States alone. Learn more at www.trackercertification.com.
WILDLIFE TRACK AND SIGN CERTIFICATION
October 17 and 18, 2026
Spend two days in the field with professional wildlife tracker, naturalist, and educator David Moskowitz in this Cybertracker certification course (www.cybertracker.org). David actively engages participants in identification and interpretation of tracks and signs, and allows plenty of time for questions and discussion.
Saturday, October 24, 2026
10:00am-3:00pm
Location:
TBD, within the Port Townsend surrounding area
Instructor:
Marko Colby
Whether you’re a curious beginner or looking to deepen your knowledge, this hands-on, field-based class offers something for everyone. Explore the biology and ecology of mushrooms as you learn about their vital roles in ecosystems, from interactions with plants and soil to their unique place in nature.
With expert guidance, you’ll learn to identify common mushrooms of the Pacific Northwest and their habitats, including how to distinguish edible from look-alike toxic varieties. You’ll also build essential skills for safe and sustainable foraging, gaining understanding of the ethical practices that ensure your foraging leaves the environment healthy and thriving.
By the end of the class, you’ll have increased skills and a greater sense of confidence to forage mushrooms safely and sustainably, while deepening your connection with nature and the fascinating world of fungi!
What to Bring:
the book "All That the Rain Promises and More: A Hip Pocket Guide to Western Mushrooms" by David Arora
boots
rain gear
basket
knife
Tuition:
$135 (includes state sales tax)
*5 WA State Clock Hours available to teachers for an additional $20*
Ages:
12 + (minors must be accompanied by a registered adult)
INTRO TO PACIFIC NORTHWEST MUSHROOMS
October 24, 2026
Explore the ecology and diversity of Pacific Northwest mushrooms as you learn to identify common species and the habitats they thrive in. With hands-on guidance, you’ll build the skills you need to forage safely and sustainably.
Educators: WA State Clock Hours available for this course.