Holistic Tracking and the
Art of Wandering
A two-part webinar series
July 22 and July 29
10am - midday (AEST/Melbourne time)
With Jon Young and Claire Dunn
“The first track is the end of a string. At the far end, a being is moving; a mystery, dropping a hint about itself every so many feet, telling you more about itself until you can almost see it, even before you come to it. The mystery reveals itself slowly, track by track, giving its genealogy early to coax you in. Further on, it will tell you the intimate details of its life and work, until you know the maker of the track like a lifelong friend” - Tom Brown Jr.
What does it really mean to be a tracker in the busy modern world? Not many of us have the time and patience to apprentice ourselves to the arts of tracking in the way our ancestors may have. But with a passion for nature, good mentoring and some carved out practice time, we too can enter into the conversational and animate world of the tracker.
By tracking, we’re meaning someone in their full sensory aliveness, enlivened by curiosity about the wild world, extending their awareness out across the landscape, soaking in all the information offered by the wild other in its many forms and joining the dots to form a larger picture.
We’re talking someone who holds sacred the intention to reconnect with the vibrant life-web of nature, and is apprenticing themselves to the mysteries all around them, whether in the middle of the city or in the wild, mysteries which take them deeper into a state of present moment rapture, and a sense of belonging to place and world.
As you learn to read nature’s tracks, signs and signals, this awareness will stay with you wherever you go, bringing a deep sense of participation and a personal relationship with nature that grows richer every day.
Ultimately, it’s about what Jon Young calls “the ropes of connection” which are the links that connect us with all animals, plants, rocks and rivers, their tracks and traces, their feelings and behaviours, and which ultimately allows us see through their eyes: the mysterious world of the spirit tracker.
This is what we know as a holistic tracker. It is an art form available to all of us, a birthright even. And it’s a lifelong journey of discovery, joy and deep listening. What an awesome ride!
Wandering is one of the core routines of the tracker. Dropping agendas and plans, slowing down, we become like a moving ‘sit spot’, following instincts and curiosity, open to the cues presented by the wild other. Wandering allows us to become porous to the landscape, to enter into a conversation with the land through the weaving path we take, to enquire, to wonder in awe, to discover what’s right there beyond the usual tunnel vision of the modern walker.
Wandering is a portal through which we might offer back the gifts of our loving attention, our praise, our presence. And in turn, we allow the wild other to mirror back something of ourselves.
In this two part Zoom-style course, expert tracker, visionary, and author Jon Young, and rewilding facilitator and author Claire Dunn will lead you into the world of wandering and holistic tracking including intuition, synchronicity, awareness and deep connection practices such as wandering. The week in between the two calls will give an opportunity for personal practice and experimentation, as well as a dedicated Facebook group for sharing stories.
All classes will be recorded and available for your viewing convenience!
Facilitators
Jon Young
Lead Instructor
Jon Young is a deep nature-people-self connection researcher, mentor, naturalist, wildlife tracker, author, workshop leader, consultant, sought after public speaker and storyteller. Jon has been mentored in deep nature connection by his own grandmothers, Tom Brown, Jr. and a host of elders and experts. As a leader in the field of nature-based community building over 30 years, Jon’s research into the impact and significance of nature on mentoring, human intelligence, spiritually, well-being and development has influenced tens of thousands of people worldwide. Jon has authored and co-authored several seminal works on nature connection and connection mentoring, including What the Robin Knows: How Birds Reveal the Secrets of the Natural World (2013), and Coyote's Guide to Connecting to Nature (2007). Jon has appeared in numerous documentaries including The Animal Communicator (2012). In 2016, he received the Champion of Environmental Education Award for his innovative work, which has inspired positive developments in the field, and fostered the growth of the nature connection movement on a global level. Jon is a father of six children, and lives in the Santa Cruz Mountains with his partner.
Claire Dunn
Claire Dunn is a writer, speaker, barefoot explorer, rewilding facilitator and founder of Nature’s Apprentice. Claire is passionate about human rewilding and believes that a reclaiming of our ecological selves and belonging is key to regenerating wildness on the planet. For the last 15 years, Claire has been facilitating individuals to dive deeply into the mysteries of nature and psyche through the pathways of deep nature connection, ancestral earth skills, deep ecology, ecopsychology, soulcentric nature-based practice, village building, dance, ceremony and contemporary wilderness rites-of-passage. Claire is the author of memoir My Year Without Matches, which tells the story of her year living wild. Her recently released memoir Rewilding the Urban Soul explores how we might embody wild consciousness within a modern city context. Claire lives in Melbourne where she lovingly tends her garden, community and her own wild heart.
Dates: July 22 and July 29 from 10am - midday
Cost:
$90
$80 if you took part in the 8-Day Art of Wandering Online Program in May
$70 if part of the Nature Based Leadership Training