Hikers Gone WILD for a Critters Cause
By Tracy Rolling

Wild about wildlife - that's what the San Diego Tracking Team is all about.

The SDTT was formed in 1999 when the Mt. Woodson Trackers united with the Los Penasquitos Tracking Team.

Today there are hundreds of members and numerous volunteers that are campaigning to the community on behalf of creatures and critters alike about the importance of preserving wildlife habitat and creating a healthy ecosystem.

In an effort to better understand the region's biodiversity, tracking teams with strict protocol and approved methodology conduct wildlife surveys and record fundamental data necessary for leaders of the community to make well-informed planning and developmental decisions.

Last month, six members of the SDTT met near the base of Mt. Woodson to evaluate and record wildlife activity in the region.

After minutes on the trail their "dirt time" paid off. The first example of evidence to be documented was a segmented piece of animal feces also referred to as scat. Using a set of tongs it was carefully examined and recorded as historic, containing finely digested matter of a bobcat.

Seconds later another team member witnessed what might be considered a fresh coyote footprint. After a thorough inspection it was determined that the print was inconclusive, and according to protocol, the team must have 95 percent certainty in order to record the sighting.

Each step along the trail escorted the members to more and more discoveries. Evidence of foxes, coyotes, bobcats, skunks, rabbits and plenty of wood rat nests were readily available to log onto the Cyber Tracker; a gadget that uses a sophisticated GPS tracking system to record time, date and location for each entry.

Team member and routine surveyor Ann Hunt says, "The goal is to be able to provide data with integrity to city planning groups and maintain a functional open access corridor for wildlife throughout San Diego."

Team members come from all over the city passionate about their assignment and serious about their responsibility to ensure a healthy bionetwork for these animals.

Free introductory tracking classes are conducted regularly, as well as wildlife educational seminars. These lessons teach the fundamentals of tracking and help mentor future surveyors.

The SDTT has a relatively new program for the apprentice tracker/naturalist where an experienced tracker shares the finer details about journaling, awareness philosophies and the art of detecting movement in nature.

Books, pamphlets and other pieces of literature provide basic sign and habitat recognition, but Chris Taylor-Kloke says what's equally important is dirt time, which is the amount of time on the trail, surrounded by experienced trackers willing to share their knowledge.

Arun Balakrishnan says, "Once you know what you're looking for, it's easier to spot it."

There are plenty of volunteer opportunities and more than 100 wildlife surveys conducted each year in San Diego. Visit www.sdtt.org for more information or to make a tax deductible donation.