Endorsement &
Accreditation
Tracker Mentoring is endorsed by FGASA, the standard-setting organization for nature-guiding in Southern Africa, and Lee Gutteridge and Kersey Lawrence are both Accredited Evaluators for CyberTracker, the international gold-standard for Tracker Certification.
The Association that sets the standard and level of professionalism in the guiding industry.
The Fields Guides Association of Southern Africa’s philosophy is one of representing and promoting a high standard of guiding and skills development within the tourism industry for its members.
FGASA is a well known, highly regarded and respected brand across the world for all guiding and non guiding members.
“Having seen the Tracker Mentoring Manual compiled by Lee Gutteridge and Kersey Lawrence I highly recommend it for all trackers and guides. Here is an amazing opportunity for Trackers and Guides to improve on their bush skills, which is of utmost importance when guiding guests.”
– Brian Serrao, Standards Director, FGASA
The International Gold-Standard for Tracker Certification
From its origins with indigenous Kalahari trackers, CyberTracker projects have been initiated to protect rhinos in Africa, to monitor gorillas in the Congo, snow leopards in the Himalayas, butterflies in Switzerland, jaguars in Costa Rica, birds in the Amazon, wild horses in Mongolia, dolphins in California, marine turtles in the Pacific and whales in Antarctica. CyberTracker is being used worldwide by indigenous communities, in protected areas, scientific research, citizen science, environmental education, forestry, farming, social surveys and crime prevention.
CyberTracker has grown from a simple hypothesis: The art of tracking may have been the origin of science. Science may have evolved more than a hundred thousand years ago with the evolution of modern hunter-gatherers. Scientific reasoning may therefore be an innate ability of the human mind. This may have far-reaching implications for indigenous knowledge and citizen science.
Since 1985, Louis Liebenberg witnessed a steep decline in indigenous tracking skills in southern Africa. As a means to identify those dwindling few with excellent tracking skills, and to help rebuild a body of tracking knowledge, Liebenberg designed and provided the first CyberTracker Tracker Certification in the Thornybush Nature Preserve near Kruger National Park in 1994. Since that time, the certification system has become an international standard for wildlife tracking skills in an increasing number of countries.
Since 1994 more than 5000 CyberTracker tracker certificates have been issued to more than 4000 trackers in Southern Africa alone. This includes 20 Master Tracker certificates. Seven of them have passed away, but we know that there are more master trackers in the Kalahari who have not yet been evaluated.
The CyberTracker Tracker Certification system enables trackers to get jobs in ecotourism, as rangers in anti-poaching units, in wildlife monitoring and scientific research. Tracker certifications have since 1994 resulted in increasing levels of tracking skills in Africa, North America and across Europe, thereby reviving tracking as a modern profession.
In order to develop the art of tracking as a modern profession it is important to maintain very high standards. Trackers are graded in order to determine their level of expertise, so that they can be promoted according to different salary scales. This provides an incentive for trackers to develop their skills.
Our vision is to develop a Worldwide Environmental Monitoring Network.
Testimonials
“Kersey and Lee have strong passion and instinct for tracking, evident in every move they make in the field. Their aptitude as top-level trackers is unquestionable. But also they are great people who are totally focused on teaching their skills. They really leave a deep impression that lasts long. It doesn’t matter where you come from.”
Laura Rollán, Barcelona, Spain, Wildlife Biologist, Track and Sign 3 Spain, Tracker 2 South Africa