The Art of Tracking may well be the origin of science. It may be one of the distinctive features of our cognitive abilities that makes us human, unique in the animal world. After hundreds of thousands of years, traditional tracking skills may soon be lost. Yet tracking can be developed into a new science with far-reaching implications for indigenous communities, community science, nature conservation and employment creation.
Tracking involves all aspects of the scientific imagination and reasoning. Teaching young people to actively engage in tracking may be one of the most effective ways for them to acquire an understanding and love for science. It stimulates the imagination, involving creative storytelling that will help to captivate young minds. Physical exercise in nature also helps with the growth of the developing brain.
In the age of social media and AI, tracking may be the ideal activity to ensure the psychological health of young people.
Creating employment opportunities for trackers provides economic benefits to indigenous communities. The employment of trackers will also help to retain traditional skills which may otherwise be lost in the near future. This will create a sense of cultural ownership of conservation, which may well be one of the most important contributions traditional tracking can make.
Apart from knowledge based on direct observations of animals, trackers gain a detailed understanding of animal behavior through the interpretation of tracks and signs. In this way much information can be obtained that would otherwise remain unknown, especially on the behavior of rare or nocturnal animals that are not often seen.
Combining traditional tracking with modern technology, such as camera traps, radio tracking and remote sensing, may enable the researcher to accomplish much more than either method could accomplish on its own. The CyberTracker software augments the traditional skills and expertise of the tracker, and promotes the learning process in tracking.
In the near future, many jobs may be replaced by artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. The Art of Tracking may be one of the last human cognitive skills that AI will be able to replicate (if ever). Engaging people in the preservation of life itself could be one of the most meaningful opportunities to deal with potential large-scale unemployment.
Video: CNN Rolex Call to Earth – Indigenous Trackers are Teaching Scientists about Wildlife
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