Tracker Gathering  Master of Ceremonies

Leader:  Terry Hunefeld

email: thunefeld@gmail.com

 

A Field Trip For Leaders, Professionals & Specialists (free)

Date: See the Calendar for Dates & Times of all Terry's Programs 

Time:  8:30am - 3pm

Tuition:  Free for Workshop Leaders & trackers holding Professional or  Specialists Certificates

Location:  TBD by participants

Maximum Participants:  14

Meeting Spot:  Meet Terry in the Lodge dining room at 8:15 am or as notified by email.  We'll may car pool to the site.  

 

A Field Trip For Leaders, Professionals & Specialists

Leader Day Off—a special ~6-hour outing reserved for workshop leaders and specialist & professional-certified trackers. After a full week of guiding clinics, certifications, and hands-on tracking in redwood forests, river mudflats, dusty roads, and meadows, this exclusive outing lets us step away as peers to explore somewhere truly remarkable.

We may venture into one of Humboldt's hidden gems, chosen spontaneously based on the week's discoveries and shared excitement. Perhaps it's a quiet stretch of the Eel River's banks, where fresh tracks emerge on low-water sandbars, or a nearby redwood grove. Perhaps we'll carpool offsite.  We will know before the day we begin.  

This isn't a structured workshop—it's pure, collaborative fun.  Join us for this celebratory escape: a rewarding close to the Gathering.  No cost.  

Free Evening Clinic - Preserving The
Spirit of the Animal with Dental Labstone

Saturday, Sep 5, 6pm Lodge Dining Room -  Casting an animal track with dental lab stone is a profound act—it's like preserving a tangible piece of that wild creature forever. When you pour this remarkable material into a fresh print, you're capturing not just the shape, but the exact contours, claw marks, texture, and subtle pressure ridges left by the animal's foot in that precise moment. It's a snapshot of its presence, a physical echo of its movement through the landscape that would otherwise fade with the next rain or wind.

Dental lab stone stands out because it's exceptionally hard, unbreakable, and robust—far superior to ordinary plaster. It sets quickly, pours smoothly for crisp detail, and withstands scrubbing to clean off clinging dirt without losing fine features. Over time, I've built a collection of hundreds of these casts, amassing dozens of variations of the same species' track: front vs. hind, different substrates, gaits, ages, and conditions. This library deepens my understanding—revealing how tracks change with speed, weight, or terrain—and fuels ongoing study and education.

There's something almost spiritual about it too: holding that durable replica feels like keeping a fragment of the animal's essence, a permanent reminder of the encounter. It's not just data; it's a way to honor and remember the living being that passed by. In the Tracker Gathering clinic, I'll demonstrate the full safe, quick, effective process—mixing, pouring, finishing — so you can create your own lasting treasures from the field.

Terry Hunefeld

Terry holds two Professional Certificates and a Specialist Track & Sign Certificate from Tracker Certification North America (TCNA). His certification record includes four perfect scores at the 100% level

Terry and his wife live in tiny desert village - Borrego Springs, California - surrounded by a thousand square miles of Sonoran Desert wilderness ringed with mountain ranges - known as the Anza Borrego Desert State Park. 

 

Terry’s Naturalist & Tracking Experience

 

  • TCNA Specialist Track & Sign Certification - 2024
  • TCNA Professional Track & Sign Certification, San Diego County – 2024
  • TCNA Professional Track & Sign Certification, Albuquerque, NM - 2025
  • TCNA 100% on Track & Sign Certification, The North Woods, Wisconsin, August 2025.
  • Terry has participated in more than 44 TCNA certifications since 2020  -  all over the world  -   from SoCal to Vermont, Florida to Washington... plus four weeks in Africa - building tracking skills for sign recognition of all North American species in varying habitats. 
  • San Diego Tracking Team Wildlife Survey Leader, 2022 – present
  • Level 1,2,3 San Diego Tracking Team Naturalist/Tracker Certifications, 2019-2020
  • California State Parks Naturalist, 2016 - present
  • Anza Borrego Foundation Desert Naturalist and Trip Leader/Interpreter  2016 - present
  • Anza Borrego Desert State Park Naturalist and Field Trip Leader 2016- present
  • Anza Borrego Desert Botany Society Vice-President -  2017- 2010
  • Naturalist & Trip Leader, 2015-present
  • NOAA Fisheries Science Center, On-Board NOAA Ship Bird Census Volunteer, 2008-2010
  • San Diego Field Ornithologists, Rare Bird Moderator 2012-2020
  • eBird San Diego County Low Desert Reviewer Moderator, 2012 – 2020
  • Southern California Audubon Societies Pelagic Bird Coordinator & Outings Leader, 2006-2012
  • Oceanside CA Audubon Christmas Bird Count Coordinator and Leader - 2006-2012
  • Sierra Club, San Diego Chapter, Certified Outings Leader, 2002-2008
  • San Diego Natural History Museum Naturalist & Hike Leader, 2002-2006
  • Mission Trails Regional Park Naturalist & Hike Leader, 2003-2008
  • Anza Borrego Foundation, Board of Trustees, 2018-2021
  • Anza Borrego Desert Natural History Association Naturalist and Trip Leader 2012 to present
  • San Diego Tracking Team Board of Directors, 2021-present
  • San Diego Tracking Team TCNA-CyberTracker Training Coordinator, 2021-present.