🌲 Junco Tracker: Nature Observation & Basic Survival | You Choose: Survive or Thrive.

What is in your yard?

When & Where?

🗓 Date: Thursday, July 17, 2025, 🕐 Time: 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM 📍 Location: Dove Creek Community Center, Dove Creek, CO

This summer, adventure begins in your own backyard. Junco Tracker is a new outreach initiative blending primitive survival skills with spiritual insight—rooted in nature observation and inspired by the legacy of wilderness mentors like Tom Brown Jr.

Who?

Children (and the young at heart) are invited to reconnect with creation, develop practical life skills, and explore the deeper truths of thriving—not just surviving.

🧭 What We Aim to Explore Together:

• The “Power 5” of survival: Attitude, Shelter, Fire, Water, and Food

• Hands-on practice in shelter-building and fire-starting basics

• Observation challenges and a scavenger-style nature sit

• Storytelling and journaling to connect outdoor experience with inner growth

• A spirit of wonder and courage rooted in Scripture

🪶 The junco may be small, but it’s alert, adaptable, and always aware of its surroundings. That’s the spirit we’re tracking.

🎒 For Parents & Program Guides:

This class is designed for elementary-aged children with an intentional mix of fun, safety, and spiritual reflection. Whether we’re identifying birdsong, learning how to collect safe water, or building tiny lean-tos, every moment encourages curiosity, resilience, and awe for God’s creation.

👨‍🏫 Instructor: Nicholas Sybrowsky Founder, Owner & Operator of Junco Tracker juncotracker@gmail.com

🙌 Get Involved or Share the Trail

Space is limited—join us, spread the word, or connect to learn more about how Junco Tracker is awakening a generation to faith and wilderness wisdom.  Contact Program Director Kristy Chadd to sign-up dcrecdirector@gmail.com

Let’s guide young hearts to track more than survival... Let’s track courage. Track awareness. Track the Spirit.

Earnestly,

R. Nicholas Sybrowsky-Junco Tracker

🌿 “Junco Tracker” — A New Ministry Trail Begins! | Track Faith. Thrive in Creation.

Debris Hut Pine Barren's NJ | House Sparrow Dove Creek, CO | Escalante Staircase Boulder, UT

How did we get here?

Some trails begin with just a few steps—and sometimes, they start with a two-hour invitation that opens the door to something much deeper.

I’m honored to introduce Junco Tracker, a spiritually grounded exploration series where curiosity, creation, and Scripture meet. This initiative invites children, families, and fellow seekers to grow together through nature-based experiences and faith-centered reflection.

This journey began with a simple invitation to lead, but it sparked something far greater. Each outing is more than a walk through the woods—it’s a chance to track wisdom, courage, and the quiet voice of the Lord hidden in life’s smaller, sacred moments.

🔍 Why “Junco Tracker”? Juncos are watchful, resilient little birds—often overlooked, yet always present. Their presence reminds us to notice the sacred in the seemingly small and to follow the spiritual trails laid quietly before us.

🧭 What to Expect:

• Guided nature sits and scripture-focused walks

• Survival skills woven with biblical insight

• Creative journaling and spiritual storytelling

• A hands-on, heart-deep approach to formation—especially for young minds and families

💬 Looking Ahead The first session will light a fire—full of laughter, wonder, and connection. I’m praying and preparing for what’s to come and invite your prayers, stories, and support along the way.

👣 Want to walk the trail with us?

Our first full exhibition experience is on the horizon. Whether you’d like to join, partner, share, or simply follow along—we’d love to hear from you.

📌 Details HERE! 📬 Drop a comment or message if you’d like updates or to get involved. 📖 “Be strong and very courageous…meditate on it day and night…” — Joshua 1:8

Let’s track faith in the everyday— One step. One lesson. One junco at a time. 🪶

You Choose: Survive or Thrive—let’s walk toward thriving, together.

Earnestly,

Nicholas Sybrowsky-Junco Tracker

Junco Tracker

House Sparrow not a Junco.

Tracking isn't as much of a lost art as one might be in inclined to suggest.  Yet one may have been led to make such a suggestion to prompt the undertaking to prevent such a loss.  Even so, I lean towards the idea that many of the old ways are lost, more than we know.

I for one likely lack the skill set of an Apache or a Mountain man from the 1600 eras.  This is a no brainer.  To track a Junco is my goal herein.  Yet I won't grow any greater skill in the tracking of this 🐦 bird writing about it here on this blog.  Perhaps writing about my journey is helpful.  One can only discover the truth by action.

When I graduated Highschool I was invited to attend more schooling.  The cost was high for me, but with the help and encouragement from my parents and the spurring attributes of my elder brother I accepted the invite.  An entire month spent in the US state of New Jersey.  

My brother had been there perhaps greater than six months by the time I came to visit.  I'll have to check my notes and his memory of this.  Needless to express he had a job assignment long before I made my way onto the Airlines to get there.  His internship was special in that his task was to produce a program that Tom Brown Jr. Could implement to share with future students.  The success of such a task must be asked of them, I'm not here to tell you their story.

My bags packed and I was on a plane to visit the Farm for a week and then the Pine Barrens for 3 weeks.  For an 18-year-old this opportunity was exhilarating.  Ask me about my first time flying and you'll hear of my trauma in the lay over and the various connections needed to arrive at my final destination.  Ironically, I wasn't much different than the adolescent beggars we often overlook in the midst of our wildlife environment.

To this end there is very much story to tell.  For now, let me explain that I hereby dedicate this blog to the pursuit of preserving the "lost arts".  Tracker School inspired me to become a practicing primitive skills student and the "dirt time" I have is difficult to measure without logging some entries and sharing some thoughts around the idea of learning and practicing.  Additionally, the Tracking, Nature Observations and Survival reflections will be shared here.

The name of Junco Tracker has been inspired by the naturalist and author of What the Robin Knows.  Jon Young was and is likely to this day a student of Tom's, yet he is a leader of Bird Language of which I'm an aspiring learner.  It's also the bird that the Tracker School uses a a symbol on their logo.

After leaving the Tracker School in 2000 to venture into making a living, my sense of confidence was exceeding my senses prior to attendance.  I had very much to learn in practice, but I was instilled with encouragement that I wouldn't have had without attending that summer.  I was ready to be homeless as a confident vagabond.

Of my identity I willingly remove the mystery.  My name is Nicholas and I have other blogs of which you can learn about me and connect with me personally if your heart so desires.  Feel welcome to observe these here in the Links below:

 🔗 Covenant Harvest 

🔗  Sea Story 

🔗  Thy Kingdom Come, Go Dove Creek

Let's venture to yearn and learn to grow in nature observation, tracking and wilderness survival skills.  With that shared I return to my yard and 🤔 wonder.  What does the Junco know?