Core Routines: Wandering, Mapping, Questioning and Tracking
Skills Practiced: Observation, memory, trail marking, invisibility
Ecological Indicators: Mammals, human presence
Qualities Fostered: Awareness, Creativity, Pattern Recognition
Directions (Shields): Southeast (Challenge), Northwest (Reflect), Northeast (Practice)
Suggested Age Range: 8+ (especially good for tweens and teens)
Timing & Energy Level: Medium energy; best after Wandering or tracking games (Southeast/Northwest)
Set-Up & Materials:
- A natural area with varied terrain
- Natural materials for trail marking (twigs, rocks, leaves)
- Optionally: a time limit or distance limit
Description:
Participants are challenged to lay a trail through the woods using natural materials in subtle ways—bent grasses, scuffed soil, misaligned sticks, a leaf turned over. Another group (or partner) follows this “invisible” trail using clues and inference, not obvious markings. The goal is to hide signs in plain sight, creating a trail that mimics real animal sign. It’s a favorite for developing stealth, creativity, and sensitivity to landscape.
Coyote Mentoring Tips:
- Model subtle sign-making using real examples (squirrel dig, deer rub)
- Frame it as a mystery or mission: “Can you leave a trail without leaving a trace?”
- Encourage trail layers: one loud, one invisible
Variations:
- Create a story along the trail (e.g., “a fox hunting a rabbit”)
- Use blindfolds and guide a partner along the trail by verbal hints only
- Time-delay: return after a rain or wind and try again
Debrief Prompts:
- “What made the trail hard to follow?”
- “What sign felt most natural—or most human?”
- “What did you notice when you slowed down to look?”
Story Seeds:
- Tracker myths and stories of invisible travelers
- Trickster trails that lead somewhere unexpected
- Personal stories of getting lost or finding your way back