In honor of Women’s Month, we are thrilled to celebrate and congratulate Sophie Barrett on achieving her CyberTracker Track & Sign Specialist qualification!

This is an extraordinary accomplishment, and it’s important to note that this certification is far from easy to obtain. The candidates who undertake this assessment are seasoned bush veterans, each with years of experience and remarkable skill in their fields. While Sophie was the only candidate to earn the top prize, all participants performed exceptionally well.

Track & Sign in the bush is a unique blend of science and art, requiring a combination of experience, skill, interpretive abilities, and a strong mental component. It demands confidence in one’s answers and an almost instinctual understanding of the environment.

From left to right: Colin Patrick (CyberTracker Assessor), Sophie Barrett (FGASA Professional Field Guide, Track  Sign Specialist), Andreas Liebenberg (CyberTracker Assessor).

Sophie extends her most heartfelt thanks to the many trainers, mentors, and assessors who contributed to her outstanding achievement, including Vaughan Jessnitz, Lee Gutteridge, Colin Patrick, Sam Patrick, Adriaan Louw, and Andreas Liebenberg, to name just a few.

Sophie shared her excitement, saying, “Years and years of staring at the dirt has paid off! I am beyond thrilled to have achieved my CyberTracker Specialist Track and Sign qualification.

I have been hypnotized by the language of the bush from the first moment I set foot on African soil. Track & Sign Specialist is not where the journey ends but it feels like a major landmark! Thank you to everyone who has helped, supported, and shared their wisdom to get me to where I am today. Here’s looking forward to many, many more years of staring at the dirt.”

Track & Sign Senior Assessment candidates with Assessors (and the real star of the show, Koda).

We are all incredibly proud and excited for you, Sophie! Here’s to many more days, weeks, months, and years under African skies. You are an inspiration to young, aspiring women in the industry, and with leaders like you paving the way, we’re sure to see a remarkable delegation of female guides emerging in the future.

Images credited to: Becky Patrick (check out more on Instagram!)