The Caretaker Program

Being a caretaker is a unique opportunity to embrace solitude, wilderness living, and care for the sacred land where Tom and Rick learned from Grandfather. The caretaker position is a special role designed to fulfill the need of both the Tracker School's Pine Barrens camp and the students who are seeking to become the best person s/he can be.

The Tracker School accepts four caretakers each year and the caretaker term is one year long. Living as a caretaker is a time to delve deep into the skills of survival, tracking, awareness, philosophy, and living in harmony with the earth.

Making the commitment to spend a year as a caretaker is also an opportunity to forge oneself physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

There is a new change in the caretaker program. Caretakers will now serve as interns for all classes in the Pine Barrens. The main duties of interns is to support the school by cooking meals, helping prepare lectures, and running the school store during class. For further information on interns duties please see the intern hand book which is on the Tracker School web site.

The Caretaker experience is not for everyone. It is a challenging experience that demands self-motivation, respect, responsibility, and humility. Caretaking is not an experience that is designed for those trying to run away from society and their life problems. It is not for those who are seeking to be a "tracker bum" and need a free place to live, or for folks who are seeking a year of complete solitude in the wilderness. Caretaking is not a hand held experience and requires someone who can both spend long periods of time alone, and also assist with classes and students in a positive manner.