About us, About you

Is it an outdoor education organization? Is it a martial arts program? Do you teach self-sufficiency? But wait, isn't a large focus of your immersion program "team skills"? Is it a live action version of Star Wars or Lord of the Rings? It's all of these qualities, plus more. We don't limit our possibilities and that is exactly what makes Trackers "Trackers". In the art of animal tracking we have a saying:

All models are wrong and some are useful

This means that it pays to have a formal method of understanding things. And it also pays to understand that when you're looking at a set of deer tracks, in the reed canary grass, over the beaver trail, coming from the dogwood thicket, that it speaks of a moment that has never happened before and will never happen again. It is truly unique in all the glory of its details both great and small. Tracking and Trackers is an eye and eloquence for details. Tracking and Trackers is the extreme competency of being fully observant. Tracking and Trackers is an adventure completely in the moment. We also have what we call "working agreements." These are the things that people can trust us to do well and follow through with all our heart.

We care for the land and earth we live on Modern terms have don't quite get it: hunter-gatherer skills, nature awareness, sustainability, regenerative design, environmental sciences and even the one we use, traditional living. We feel that all of this is too complex, let's keep it simple. How about simply, "We care for the land and the earth. We tend to it with all our heart and no compromise because our children and their children do and will live here for many generations to come."

We sustain healthy livelihoods in our communities We with two circles in our business planning: what we're passionate about and what are the services that actually make us a living. Where those two circles overlap is where we sustain our family and ourselves. Its that simple and that complex. Still, this does not get to the core of what we mean by this agreement. We also must treat one another well as we make a livelihood together. One of the main families that founded Trackers has been my own. My mother, father, sisters and even my grandfather. At Trackers, we have watched too often as people we care about are beaten down by work that they are not passionate about. We will not stand idly by for this. There should be no comprise. We want you to feel respected and your needs important. We're here to treat individuals like competent adults and children as people aspiring to that competency and responsibility. We're great advocates of autonomy with community accountability.

We integrate powerful team and family support This goes back to our axiom of "all models are wrong and some are useful". What works for one person may not necessarily work for another. As Trackers we realize that our awareness of the moment is what lets us fully care for one another. How can I know if my friend is getting overwhelmed? How can I pay attention and really notice when someone is doing me a true favor? It sounds like these should all be common sense skills, unfortunately, common sense is no longer common. We have an innate ability to support one another and we're making a place to let that happen. Like a snowball rolling down hill, at a certain point, great family support is impossible to stop. We work in collaborative teams, treat people like adults and we get things done efficiently so you have more time to spend with your family. We not only apply these principles to working relationships but also model them in both our youth camps and adult programs.

This is only a snapshot of Trackers Trackers is actually an organization of people who deeply care about the work they do for land and community. At the end of the day, that is all we have. Well, that, and some great foods from the wild and garden, fantastic conversation, incredible stories and people we love.