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About Our Staff

Gabe Spence, Wildlife Tracking Instructor

Gabe Spence has been tracking since age 13 having been inspired by Tom Brown’s book, The Tracker. He has been privileged to have learned from nationally renowned trackers, Jon Young (founder of Wilderness Awareness School) and Mark Elbroch (author of Bird Tracks and Sign and Mammal Tracks and Sign, and several other great books). 

A position with the Pacific Northwest Research Station in Corvallis Oregon brought Gabe from Vermont to the West Coast, where he has worked as a wildlife biologist and tracker in both the private and public sectors. His work has ranged from tracking for environmental consulting firms to monitoring carnivores for the Washington Dept of Fish and Wildlife.  

In the year 2000 Gabe attended the Wilderness Awareness School’s year long training program, which focuses on wilderness survival skills, tracking and teaching.  Gabe led the Wilderness Awareness School’s Tracking Club for five years, and became their lead instructor for all tracking programs.

Tracking has taken Gabe across the West—including to Idaho and Minnesota, where he lead wolf tracking expeditions; and to California, where he helped launch the Shikari Tracking Guild for Jon Young’s Institute of Nature Awareness.
Gabe has also worked with White Earth Tribal Community College in Minnesota to integrate tracking into their environmental science program. 

He has recently taught tracking classes with The Methow Conservancy and run educational classes at the Wilderness Medical Society conference in Aspen Co.  He is excited to be living in the Methow Valley, where he has been tracking (among other critters) moose, cougars, and wolves (Washington’s first pack since the 1930s). Gabe has a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology from Unity College in Maine.



Sandi Scheinberg, Administrative Director

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Sandi Scheinberg is the administrative director of the Methow Wilderness School. She established her connection with the natural world while growing up on the Oregon Coast, where she formed a bond that would launch a path into environmental activism. She has over 14 years working in the conservation movement, in positions ranging from campaign director to executive director.  While serving as the executive director of Bark, an Oregon-based forest conservation group (www.bark-out.org), Sandi had an inspiration to attend the year-long residential program at the Wilderness Awareness School. This brought her to Washington and eventually to the Methow Valley. Sandi brings a passion for the environment and extensive management experience to her role at the Methow Wilderness School—skills that are honed daily as she shares her workspace with her two-year daughter, Pearl.



Brian McConnell, Guest Instructor

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Brian grew up on a small farm in southwestern Arkansas.  He began his hunting career for deer and squirrels at the age of six, and is still an avid bow hunter.  Hunting has had a profound impact on his life, and has been a major force in defining who he is.  He attended Louisiana Tech University studying forestry/wildlife, and then worked for the U.S. Forest Service in Alaska for a few years.  He is the first person in the U.S. to be certified as a Senior Tracker under the Cybertracker Conservation standards (which are very rigorous; wildlifetrackers.com and cybertracker.org), and is also an evaluator for the Trailing portion of the Tracking Certification.  Brian has taught trailing for organizations such as Wilderness Awareness School, Western Tracking Institute, The San Diego Tracking Team, the Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game, and has been a source of inspiration, knowledge, and advice for many individuals as well.  He lives with his wife and son on Sumas mountain near Everson, WA.

Pearl Appel Spence, Director of Fun & Awareness

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