Tracking Wild Africa 2024
South Africa - Youth Safari (Ages 12 -17)

Our Team

Steve Robertson

Wild Latitudes, Owner & Lead Guide Steve earned his BA in Wildlife Science at Oregon State University in 1982, and his MS in Secondary Education with an emphasis on Biology. He’s worked in environmental education since 1982: at MESD Outdoor School Program for 5 years, OMSI for 10 years as Manager of Education Programs, and Portland Audubon as Education Director for over 19 years. Steve has extensive bush experience: leading a 6-month research trek in search of the Tasmanian tiger, a 3-month trek into the Amazon in search of pink river dolphins, and a 3-month trek to Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Madagascar. While at Audubon, he led numerous international wildlife trips for youth and adults across six continents. Today he leads tours with his company, Wild Latitudes.

Gary Freeman

Gary Freeman Safaris, Owner & Operator Gary is a renowned conservationist and game ranger. He has led safaris virtually all of his adult life, working with the Wilderness Trust of South Africa and Clive Walker Trails, firstly at Lapalala Wilderness School. He has been involved in environmental education since 1987, leading treks in South Africa and to Mashatu Game Reserve and the Okavango Delta in Botswana. In 1993 Gary Freeman Safaris took over the Klaserie Lowveld Trails, specializing in wilderness walking trails and safaris. Details at Gary Freeman Safaris

Ian Abraham

Trackers Earth, Director & Guide Ian has been teaching in the outdoor education since 1999. He earned his MA in Environment & Community at Antioch University and has taught at MESD Outdoor School, Cascadia Wild, Wolftree Inc, Tryon Creek, and the Oregon Zoo. He worked at Portland Audubon for 15 years as an Environmental Educator, Camp Director, and Youth Programs Manager. Since 2019 he has served as the principal of Portland Forest School and as a General Manager for Trackers Earth. His passions lie in the arts and science of bird language and wilderness living skills.

Tony Deis

Trackers Earth, Founder & Guide Tony founded Trackers Earth in 2004, and has been working in education since 1992 and outdoor education since 1994. Tony worked with and trained under Steve Robertson at the Portland Audubon for over 5 years before founding Trackers. Trackers’ educational mission promotes nature-based education rooted in the timeless art of tracking. This discipline includes observational experiences that enhance situational awareness, cultivate deeper connection to nature, develop greater individual resilience, and reinforce creative depth. For modern educators and mentors, the core practices of tracking hone a student's sensory and analytical ability, and situates nature and the environment as a lifelong teacher.

Saturday, July 6

Group meets at the Portland Airport, check in our flight, hug the parents and head for the Gate. We travel through the night, arriving in Johannesburg at the following day.

Sunday, July 7

We arrive Johannesburg at, clear customs, then head to the Sun Rock Hotel located only 5 minutes away. Check into rooms, relax, refresh, maybe take a swim, and then meet for dinner at 6:30 pm. After our meal, we’ll have our Orientation Meeting to get everyone familiar with the basics of the country, go over the itinerary, etc. By 10:00pm, we are in our rooms to get a good nights sleep in preparation for our big adventure.

Monday, July 8

After breakfast, we depart for the airport to catch our morning flight to Hoedspruit. Upon arrival in Hoedspruit, we collect our bags then drive to Gary’s bush camp in the Klaserie Reserve, a drive of only an hour or so. We will want to keep our eyes open as we’re sure to see many wonderful animals along the way, like Impala, Warthog, Zebra and maybe even our first Giraffe! We should arrive at camp by mid-afternoon, after having stopped enroute for lunch at a cool bush restaurant. Gary will brief us on his camp and discuss our activities while staying at this very special camp. If there is time, we may do a short game walk and maybe even go on our first night drive before dinner. Gary is an amazing cook, preparing most of his meals in a Dutch oven heated by coals of the Acacia tree. You’ll no doubt hear the enchanting call of the diminutive African Scops Owl in the Jackalberry trees above the tents as you head to bed for the evening.

Monday, July 8 – Sunday, 14 (7 nights)

Our schedule while at Gary’s bush camp will be extremely flexible and will be based on animal activity and signs, like the Lion we heard shouting last night in the distance, or the Elephants that we see feeding nearby in the morning as we awake. Located in the Klaserie Reserve, Gary’s camp is one of the few places from which one is able to safari on foot… and walking is the best way to experience African in the raw. Walking in the bush allows us to spot the small things we would normally miss when on Safari in a vehicle: things like animal tracks, bones, dung, porcupine quills, the hollowed-out shell of a tortoise, the claw marks of a leopard on a tree, and a myriad of other sings that tell the stories of the African wild. In this way, on foot, we gain a far richer understanding of life and the struggle for survival that animals face each day on this ancient continent.

Klaserie Nature Reserve sits in the forested savannah on the western boundary of the Kruger National Park. This 150,000+ acre reserve is privately owned by more than 100 individuals, and supports all the big game species of the region, including Elephant, Cape Buffalo, Lion, and Leopard; and the woodland vegetation along the Klaserie River provides habitat for a wide variety of birds, with over 400 species having been recorded there. The fences that once separated Kruger Park from the adjacent private reserves have come down, allowing animals to migrate back and forth, and now Klaserie is part of a region called the “Greater Kruger Reserve.” Our daily routine at Gary's camp will follow the rhythm of the bush and the activity patterns of the animals. Each day we'll wake at 5:30 in the morning, likely to the calls of Francolins, and after a light breakfast, head out for a walk until mid-day. The safari walks are designed to heighten observation skills, offer hands-on, boots-on-the-ground learning, and have just plain-old fun. The pace will be slow and easy to be sure we see and absorb everything we can. On our return, we’ll have lunch, then rest up a bit during the heat of the day. You’ll also have the option of bird watching around camp, showering, reading or just napping in the open air on the viewing platform over-looking the river. In the afternoon, we’ll practice what we call the core routines and “wild-crafting”: Fire-making, archery, clay sculpture from materials we harvest, journaling, and of course, tracking and casting of tracks.

As the evening sets in, we’ll head out in the open-top Land Rovers to various nearby locations for a short walk, followed by a night drive with someone seated on the jump seat up front, shining a hand-held spotlight through the trees in search of glowing eyes. At night in camp, we'll sit around the fire under African stars, enjoying Gary’s excellent cooking and listening to the night sounds of the bush, like the whooping of Hyenas and the roaring of Lions. After dinner, there is always the option of a second, late-night game drive to search for those nocturnal species that only come out well after dusk.

We will keep a record of all the species we see, and each student will be able to make their own set of plaster casts of tracks to take home. This week we spend in the bush is guaranteed to be like no other week of your life.

Tuesday, July 15

Today we will break camp and head into Kruger National Park, one of the most famous parks in the world, and the oldest in all of South Africa. It is 210 miles long and covers an area of nearly 8,000 square miles, just larger than the State of Massachusetts. The park is home to an unparalleled number of species: 507 birds, 147 mammals, 114 reptiles, 34 amphibians, 49 fish and 336 trees. Most of the park consists of grass and bush-covered plains broken by mountains along the Mozambique border and scattered with rocky outcrops throughout the park. Several major rivers, including the Limpopo, Olifants, Timbavati, and Sabie, flow across the park from west to east. We will spend the better part of 4 days in Kruger Park, exploring the central and southern sections. We will be staying in comfortable furnished cottages and bungalows in two different camps. During our game drives, we will visit waterholes and dams, which offer excellent game-viewing and birding during the dry season, and we’ll take breaks in the well-equipped picnic areas. We will enter Kruger through the Orpen Gate, in the central section of the park, then travel through an area of abundant wildlife.

We will arrive at Letaba Camp by mid-afternoon; where we’ll stay our first night in Kruger. Letaba, one of the park's larger camps and features excellent huts, and camping facilities, a trail, environmental and information centres, elephant museum, shop, restaurant, laundry facilities, and perhaps best of all, a swimming pool!.

Letaba is favoured by many visitors for its very relaxed atmosphere, and has one of the finest restaurants in the park, with excellent views of the procession of animals in the Letaba River valley. We’ll make sure to explore the famous Elephant Museum, where photographs, tusks and information about the "Magnificent Seven" (a group of huge tuskers which roamed the area in the 1970s and 1980s) are beautifully displayed. Overnight at Letaba Camp.*

Tuesday, July 16

We’ll head out early today, as early morning is the best time to see wildlife before the heat of the day. This is especially true of the prime predators like Lion, Leopard, Cheetah, and Hyena. Driving south, we will travel through the central section surrounding the Olifants River. We will head all the way to the southern region of the park, famous for being the richest with regards to mega mammals and big cats. We’ll spend the next three nights at Lower Sabie Camp, The abundant wildlife in this area includes Giraffe, Zebra, Wildebeest, Waterbuck, Impala, Hyena, Lion and even the elusive Leopard. This area supports rich birdlife as well, and we should see African Fish Eagles, Goliath Herons, Hamerkops, African Spoonbills and African Jacanas as well, just to name a few. Overnight at Lower Sabie Camp 3 nights.*

Wednesday, July 17 – Thursday, July 18

Again, another early start to the day to help ensure high-quality animal viewing. Our second night at Lower Sabie Camp, a camp which is located in an area of mixed habitats including grass plains, savannahs, riverine systems and knob thorn shrub with Marula and Leadwood trees. This fertile area supports big herds of Cape Buffalo, Wildebeest, and predators like the Jackal, Lion and Cheetah. We’ll spend most of time in the park in search of as many different species as we can find, recording them on our species list each night. We’ll also be sure to have time in camp to enjoy its surrounds and visit the gift store, have dinner in the restaurant, and swim in its lovely pool. Overnight at Lower Sabie Camp.*

Friday, July 19

We’ll leave camp early to get in a last quality game drive, then we’ll Leave Kruger NP and head to back to Hoedspruit, where we say goodbye to our new South African friend, Gary, then catch a short flight to Johannesburg. We’ll arrive with plenty of time to have dinner at the airport before catching our flight home.

Saturday, July 20

Arrive home at a time TBD.

*Please Note: All the camps we stay in in Kruger are fully fenced and patrolled by guards day and night. Each camp has full set of facilities, including restaurants, gift store, laundry and swimming pool.

Travel Information

We provide a pre-trip meeting with all participants and parents/guardians where we cover the specific packing and travel needs. For air travel we typically meet students at the airport across from the ticket counter of the airline being used. Contact Us [LINK] for packing lists and required vaccination information. We provide chaperoned air travel–from Portland to Seattle to our destination (see below for flight booking). We can work out arrangements for Bay Area and Seattle area families as well.

Passport & Visa

All travelers will need a passport. We will ask for a color copy of the info page from each traveler, and we will collect and safeguard all participants' passports after we arrive in South Africa. No VISA is required for South Africa for travel less than 90 days in duration. We will carry their passports throughout the tour until we get to the airline ticket counter on the return trip.

Flight Booking

Wild Latitudes will take the lead on selecting the flight by providing assistance from our travel agent (free of charge to participants) to secure the proper flights and seats.

Dietary Allergies & Preferences

We do our best to accommodate diet preferences and allergies. Due to the backcountry of this trip, those eating vegan may need to bring some food items to accommodate this diet unavailability of certain foods in our backcountry camp.

Money Exchange

Yes, there are lots of gift stores in Kruger. exchanging money, how to carry important docs/passport/money. I will have Rands to exchange with each participant.

Cancellation Policy

In the event a participant needs to cancel a reservation for any tour, the following policies will apply:

• 120 days or more prior to the trip departure date, 75% the deposit is refunded.
• Less than 120 days prior to the trip departure date but more than 60 days prior to trip departure date, all payments refunded, minus 50% of deposit.
• Less than 60 days prior to trip departure date, no refunds are given.
• All refunds are subject to a 3% processing fee

Please Note: The cost of any internal air flight purchased by Trackers Earth and Wild Latitudes for your trip is not refundable. This may or may not fall within the standard 120 day cancellation period.

If Trackers Earth or Wild Latitudes cancels a trip for any reason prior to its start, full refunds—minus the cost of any airline tickets purchased for the individual and/or any non-refundable deposits or expenses already made by Wild Latitudes-will be given. All refunds are subject to a 3% processing fee. Trackers Earth & Wild Latitudes also reserve the right to cancel any trip for which there are insufficient registrations. In the event the trip is canceled while underway due to unforeseen events such as, but not limited to, natural disasters, military activities, social uprising, or other extremely dangerous conditions not within the control of Wild Latitudes, no refunds will be issued.

Travel Insurance & Trip Cancellation Insurance

We strongly recommend the purchase of trip insurance and trip cancellation insurance to protect yourself from unforeseen losses due to accidents or illness. Check with your insurance agent regarding coverage you may presently have via other insurance policies that may cover illness during your trip.

Tour Date & Trip Leader Changes

Leaders and schedules are determined a year or more in advance of our tours. In the event that we have a change in a trip’s dates and/or leaders, we reserve the right to do so, and will strive to inform participants as early in the process as possible. Additional leaders may be added to tours, according to the group size or other factors.

Trackers can be a GREAT fit for families and kids inspired by what we teach. Trackers may NOT be a good fit for families who have individual needs we cannot meet or we do not align with. Every participant needs to be ready to build resilience and grit and capable of handling fast-paced, action-packed transitions. They must be excited to follow essential safety instructions and care for their Team through challenges. Here’s the breakdown to help you decide if Trackers is the right choice for your family:

Trackers IS a Good Fit for kids who...

• Can stick with the group at all times and consistently follow essential safety instructions.
• Embrace challenges and adapt when things don't go their way.
• Can handle fast-paced, action-packed transitions without batting an eyelash.
• Can abstain from digital devices & media devices to engage the real world.
• Demonstrate self-motivation and self-direction.
• Prioritize community and nature over personal interests, showing care for others.
• Thoughtfully handle physical and weather-related challenges.
• Are eager to develop resilience and grit, becoming antifragile.
• Show an interest in foraging and farming wild plants, insects, fish, or other animals.
• Aspire to become an outdoor skills badass with superpowers and abilities beyond mere mortals.

Our program may NOT be a fit for kids who...

• Cannot stick with the group at all times or consistently follow essential safety instructions.
• React negatively or become demanding when faced with challenges or things don’t go their way.
• Find it challenging to adapt fast-paced, action-packed transitions.
• Find it difficult to abstain from digital devices & media.
• Might depend heavily on external motivation and guidance.
• Are unable to handle physical and weather-related challenges effectively.
• Are not open to strengthening their resilience and grit.
• Feel uncomfortable with foraging and farming wild plants, insects, fish, or other animals.
• Have a tendency to prioritize personal interests over team and group interests.
• Lack a genuine passion for wilderness skills training.

Good Fit

Please only register if reading this truly inspires you to continue with Trackers Earth and our programs.

IMPORTANT All children must be able to remain with their group and follow safety directions at all times. This includes during activities and all transitions. If their child cannot follow these terms, Guardians agree to immediately drive out to location with no delay and retrieve their child from the program for the well-being of staff and all other participants. If additional staff is required to supervise a child refusing to remain with their team, we can apply a $50 per hour charge for the two additional staff members needed for supervision. There are no refunds given when a student is asked to take a break or leave a program for behavior consequences.

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Behavior As Choice Policy (AKA Because Knives)

At Trackers, we keep our expectations high for youth because we do real and challenging activities. We use wood carving knives with other real tools to learn wilderness survival! Teens work by blacksmith forges at 2300° F. Kindergartners light campfires (in winter). And everyone respects the wilds and forest we thrive in.

These things make us different from other camps. We trust youth to act responsibly.

We do not water down the deeper skills we share or the wild places we explore. We believe youth are capable of great things and we dedicate ourselves to that true potential. Nearly every kid can step up to that expectation. They appreciate honesty and trust as we discuss real world results of choices they can make. To maintain this high level of expectation, there are some behaviors we cannot accommodate.

It’s About Choice

We recognize everyone makes choices that are personal to their own needs and experience. We don’t define behavior as good or bad. But some behavior choices may simply conflict with the needs of the Team. Remember, your child is part of a team: Every Trackers Team has more than one camper.

We Take Direct Steps

With most behavior conflicts, we use redirection, reminders, or conversation. We can apply natural consequences, like taking a short break after ignoring boundaries. If the behavior choices that conflict with the Team continue, we begin our Fair Share Process.

Fair Share of Attention - Process

Our ability to guide youth depends on how they align their contributions with their Trackers Team and Village. Guides cannot spend excessive time addressing one participant at the expense of other youth in the program. The Fair Share process begins when a participant makes choices that demand more than their Fair Share of attention.

Please note, we immediately move to the next step if they miss commitments, choose defiance, or misunderstand the outcome of their choices.

• Step #1 - Commit to Team: Participant, Guardians (Parents) and Guides agree together to work towards the well-being of the Team and Village. The participant immediately engages in community service. This could include picking up trash, doing dishes, or any activity that contributes to the well-being of the community.
• Step #2 - Guardian Outreach: After a conversation with the Site Director and/or General Managers, we will call home and let the guardian know the approaches that staff has tried and ask for advice or for suggestions that work at home.
• Step #3 - Go Our Separate Ways: Staff will follow through with consequences. The participant is expelled from the program, forfeiting any registration fees. Depending on the behavior, they may not return to Trackers Earth programs.

IMPORTANT Very few youths choose actions that bring them to step #3 (Go Separate Ways). It’s important to note, dangerous or obstinate behavior can skip directly to any step in the Fair Share Process. While rare, we may require Guardians to Respond Swiftly.

Trackers Staff will choose consequences that reflect the challenging behavior to the best of their ability. It WILL NOT be a punishment, nor referred to as such. It WILL BE presented as a strategy to return the entire group to the equilibrium necessary to continue to function as a healthy community or team.

There are some behaviors that may result in immediate dismissal from the camp program. These include, but are not limited to: physical violence, possessing alcohol, tobacco, or drugs, possessing weapons with intent to harm, damage or theft of property, sexual misconduct and bullying (including hate speech).

Respond Swiftly

Guardians are required to IMMEDIATELY pick up their child at any site and youth will not return if the following applies:

• Dangerous Behavior: Anything impairing the ability of staff, students, and families to keep each other healthy and safe. This includes the unwillingness to stay with the team.
• Openly Defiant: The dangerous behavior needs to be a choice, or openly defiant. Accidents can be forgivable and become teachable moments.
• Lacking certainty of future compliance: If we're not 100% certain that in the future, the participant will make choices that keep everyone safe.

Stand With Us

We need the active support of every youth, Guardian, and Guide to stand up for these essential goals. At Trackers, we trust kids. Most rise to our high level of expectation and thrive there. Kids come to Trackers to discover adventures they may not find elsewhere. They value the opportunity to do something challenging, real, and meaningful. With clear expectations, youth can safely play and work together as a Trackers Team while learning a timeless craft and care for family, nature, and many generations beyond.