Cataraqui Conservation’s senior conservation educator Stana Luxford Oddie spent a few weeks this past August learning how to be an animal tracker during a trip to South Africa. In Part 2 of her blog recalling her adventures, she gets close to lions, giraffes, and baboons, while also earning her Level 1 Track & Sign Certification
One day while out in the game viewers we encountered two cheetahs. We got to spend a long time witnessing their interactions with about four zebras who wanted to pass by them to get to a watering hole. A tower (herd) of giraffes and our group watched from afar as the zebras would get closer to the cheetahs to pass them and then move back until finally, they got brave enough to pass. Each time we were out, we took many opportunities to learn about tracks and signs more intimately such as scat, rubbings and other markings of the beings all around us. We also learned how to differentiate between elephant scat and that of other herbivores in the area like the Cape buffalos and giraffes. We took time to identify the different smaller holes in the ground and what animal made them. We learned that if there was any silk woven near the hole that a spider made it. We were fortunate to catch a glimpse a baboon spider who, with a little coaxing from a piece of grass, stuck their leg out of their hole in the ground. Together our group was becoming more in tune and familiar with all that was around us by pausing from time to time to slow down and be with our senses.
Photo Credit: Jackie Payton
My time in the Lowveld was an intimate and immersive experience, where I got to know the land as I learned the many stories of the beings who lived there. We spent time quietly while being in the presence of the comings and goings of beings at a watering hole. Each night drive promised new encounters. One day we witnessed a lion pride complete with cubs and lionesses. Later in the evening, we saw a male lion devouring a fresh giraffe kill. One night drive we encountered a spotted hyena, a female leopard, and even a genet in a tree. We saw spotted eagle owls twice: once on our drive and again at our camp!
Photo Credit: Joey Luvara
After our many days of exploring day and night, most of our group members took up the challenge to partake in what Kersey and Lee called the “hardest test you’ll ever take that no one knows about.” It would be about what we learned in regard to tracks and sign of the beings around us. In preparation for the test, they offered us some practice sessions. One of the practices was interrupted by a passing troop of baboons! I appreciated the rich learning that took place as we first looked at the track and/or sign question which was circled on the ground and then, when everyone was ready, returned to each one for immediate feedback and learning. The real test was an official CyberTracker assessment which lasted a full day in the field. It felt like an opportunity to share back some of what I had received and learned. When I had arrived to Makalali, I had journaled that I wasn’t too sure how I would remember everything being shared with us. Everything was so brand new. Then I remembered to let go of any expectations of how I would do on the “test” and be grateful for any new understanding and awareness I had gained about learning to read the landscape. Kersey, Lee and Derek provided a comfortable learning experience for us. At one point they even set up a little tea, coffee and cookie table. For me, tracking felt like learning a new love language that reminded me that I am a small part of something much larger. The final full day was our test, and I was surprised that I ended up earning my Level 1 Track and Sign Certification. Some of what I had learned had stuck not only in my heart, but in my mind as well!
Photo Credit: Kersey Lawrence
On that final night drive with the golden light filling the sky and silhouetting the trees, I, too, felt aglow and a bit of grief knowing we would depart the next day. The bush had gotten under my skin, in my hair, nails, my bones and most importantly in my heart. I had experienced falling in love. I left with the ache of leaving my new love of the Lowveld but also excited for returning home to rekindle my familiar love with the land and beings right in my own back yard. The herd of elephants that had visited us earlier during our stay and walked through our camp during one of our lunches had returned to say goodbye just as we were about to have a final dinner which was a big braai (South African barbecue). We all stood watching in awe as the elephants gracefully waltzed through camp and then silkily disappeared into the darkness of the night leaving only the sounds of their hungry chomping on any vegetation they could find.
Photo Credit: Kersey Lawrence
On Aug. 14, we bid our farewells to the wonderful Derek, Ozzy and his team and the volunteers and staff at the camp. We made our way to the Drakensberg Mountain Range to spend our final two nights at the Mount Sheba Rainforest Lodge. What a contrast to be in the South African rainforest filled with lush green mosses, lichens, waterfalls, exotic birds and even Samango monkeys. Each room had a working fireplace and its own living room. We were treated with wonderful hospitality. Upon arrival, we freshened up and I offered to guide a shortened Forest Therapy Walk on one of the trails before dark. It felt like going on a blind date, to guide on a new trail in a new bioregion. Thankfully, Lee escorted us to the trail to ensure we didn’t get lost. This time I even felt comfortable to lie down on a rock near a bit of water. You could feel the humidity in the air which was a stark contrast to the dryness of the Lowveld. The shortened walk followed the typical walk flow that included an invitation to find gifts from the land. We had time to drink some tea just before dusk. We all spent the next day exploring the well-marked trails adventuring to waterfalls, alongside streams, tracking and even climbing to discover the rock formations on the trail called the Lost City.
Photo Credit: Makalali Staff Volunteer
Photo Credit: Allison Van Dyk
Photo Credit: Lee Gutteridge
On our final day of Aug. 16, our group of 15, including Lee and Kersey, parted ways with laughter and tender hearts. None of us wanted to leave. I know we all have much appreciation for Sandy’s vision to bring us together and for being such a wonderful host. Much gratitude to Kersey, Lee and Derek for their generosity and passion, sharing their love of the land and being a bridge to cultivate a relationship and understanding of the skill of tracking! This experience helped me to realize that Forest Therapy, either as a complete experience or in little tastes, can pair beautifully with other practices to enhance connection with self, others and the land, even when it’s in a very wild place. Here’s to falling in love with wherever I am.
Luxford Oddie, as she speaks about in this compelling article, is a certified Forest Therapy Guide, and has been leading walks for nearly a decade within the Cataraqui Region. If you’re interested in learning more about the philosophy underlying Forest Therapy Walks, and perhaps participating in one, please visit https://cataraquiconservation.ca/pages/about-forest-therapy.