Track & Sign Courses

What is Track & Sign?

The art of tracking is often referred to as the origin of science. Everything that moves out in the wild leaves a subtle mark or sign to show it has been there. Whether it is a blade of grass blowing in the wind, arthropods going about their business, frogs, reptiles, birds, mammals - you name it, they all leave their very individual signature on the world around them. Our track and sign programme is designed to teach you the unique language of the wild to allow you to tell the stories of what has happened in an area before you arrived.

Our Track and Sign Course is designed to advance the knowledge and skills of all those with a passion for the bush. Spend two weeks with us learning the language of the newspaper of the bush, identifying and interpreting the tracks and signs left behind by all of its residents.

What to Expect

The course will take place in a stunning 28,000+ hectare wilderness area with no other commercial operations currently running on it.

 The reserve is situated close to Mapungubwe National Park, a World Heritage Site, and is home to Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Cheetah, Wild Dog, Spotted hyaena, Brown hyaena, Bat Eared Foxes, Aardvark, Hippo, Crocodile, Giraffe, Eland, Zebra as well as a wealth of other general game, hugely diverse birdlife and many, many more species besides!

Unlike most reserves these animals are not regularly interrupted by commercial safari activities and so participants will get to view truly wild behaviour and responses, and interpret the fascinating signs they leave behind - an unparalleled learning opportunity.

The course will culminate in a Track and Sign assessment run by Goliath Training giving participants the opportunity to put the skills they have learnt over the 2 week course to the test.

For those who are interested an optional CyberTracker Track and Sign Assessment can also be arranged giving participants the chance to leave the course with an internationally recognised certification.

We know that in today’s time “free time” is hard to find. For those with a tighter schedule we allow participants to book to join us only for 7 days of the course. Please note that participants wishing to be assessed will need to join for the latter 7 days.

The accommodation boasts a private waterhole, stunning vistas over the reserve, communal kitchen, comfortable social space, a lecture area, ablutions and braai areas. Programme participants will join a rota for meal preparation but are well-cared for by a dedicated housekeeping team who take care of all cleaning up and care of the facilities themselves.

Course Facilitators

Your course will be run by our team of experienced professionals who are dedicated to ensuring participants receive the highest quality experience available.

Vaughan Jessnitz: a CyberTracker Track and Sign Specialist, with an amazing knowledge of the art of tracking and over 15 years of experience in the guiding industry. Vaughan has spent these years working as a professional field guide, tracker, trails guide mentor and field guide trainer. Vaughan has spent thousands of hours on foot in the Southern African bush and brings great knowledge and passion to the courses. Vaughan is well-known for the humour and fun that he brings to the learning environment.

Sophie Barrett: also a CyberTracker Track and Sign Specialist, she has 9 years experience in the South African bush as a professional field guide, lead trails guide and field guide trainer. Sophie has spent hundreds of hours on foot in the bush, many of which were spent captivated by the signs left behind by its residents. A passionate student of animal behaviour she brings this knowledge to her interpretation of track and sign.

Included in the Course

The programme Fee includes:

14 days of fully guided Track & Sign Training
Access to wilderness area Nature Reserve and all associated conservation levies
Great food (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
Shared, air-conditioned accommodation
Secure onsite parking facilities

What to Bring:

Good, comfortable hiking shoes
Camera & binoculars
Good quality head torch
Comfortable day backpack which can hold at least 3L of water
Neutral coloured bush clothing (the days are usually quite warm-hot, evenings can get cool)
Books/pens/laptops etc for taking notes & editing photos etc

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