TRIBUTE ~ JAMES C. LOWERY
October 21, 1944 - April 16, 2026
Founder of Earth Skills
Friends and Fellow Trackers,
It is with heavy hearts, filled with years of love, laughter, and memories, that the family of Jim Lowery shares the news that Jim has passed away. Jim died peacefully earlier this week after a short resurgence of illness, with his best friend and wife, Mary Brooks, at his side.
Jim taught us that we can often learn about what is and what will be, by looking at where things have been and embracing what is around us. We hope the next set of tracks you discover carry you to the wild adventures Jim so loved. We hope your next adventure leaves you filled with the awe and wonder Jim found in life daily. Most of all, we hope you never stop being curious about your connection to this incredible home we all share, and that Jim held sacred. The spirit of these things, which lived so very strongly in Jim, was a gift to us all.
The Earth Skills community, near and far, has lost someone they love. We invite all of you - friends, students, fellow trackers - to send condolences, share memories / reflections / photographs, or send messages to Mary, through the form below.
With deepest gratitude,
Jim Lowery's Family
April 17, 2026
JIM LOWERY ~ Biography
Jim Lowery founded Earth Skills in 1987 as an extension of his longtime passion for wilderness adventure. After completing many specialized classes in tracking, wilderness survival and related subjects from Tom Brown, Jr.'s Tracker School in New Jersey, he put thousands of hours applying the skills, while he taught hundreds of beginning and advanced workshops for nearly 40 years. Among these have been special trainings for universities, naturalists, docents, teachers and wildlife biologists. He has been an expert tracking consultant for field studies of mammals, and has led annual trainings in mammal tracking for State of California DPR staff since 2008.
Jim is the author of The Tracker's Field Guide (Globe Pequot 2006, 2013 and 2022), based on 20 years of field research and photography as well as extensive study of mammal biology and behavior. Besides this field guide, Jim has written Walk with the Animal (2013), and How to Walk with the Animal (2015), monographs about tracking, and 20 years’ worth of newsletters about outdoor skills, nature, tracking and traditional skills.
REFLECTIONS
"As a survival school and family, we have many wonderful memories of you and Jim. From our perspective as Survival-Outdoor-School in Europe, Jim’s approach to tracking is the definitive guide and the best foundation for training in tracking. Your connection to the animal world created a bond with our daughters even before they learned to speak. Jim will remain in our hearts. We are grateful for our time together and saddened by Jim’s passing. We send you our warmest thoughts and give you a big hug from Switzerland to California.” ~ Christof & Joanna w/ Anna & Monika
“So sorry for the loss of your beloved Jim. Loved the photo of him in the newspaper, it is so Jim. I have many fond memories of you and Jim over the years and the get togethers at your house. You always had good food. I remember your Swiss friend the survival class he taught. Walking with the trees at PMC. Badger tracking in the desert. On and on... together you and he made many positive changes in people, the environment, attitudes and dedication to your work. Jim was a good man with a mission! He respected different cultures, and incorporated the teachings of Tom Brown Jr. into his work. May his memory be eternal.” ~ Anita
"Jim’s bright light will be missed by all the trackers that he helped along the way - from novice to pro - while his legacy lives on in his Field Guide - a mandatory read for anyone with a curiosity about the wild and its inhabitants.” ~ Krista
“I took a tracking intensive workshop with them at Windy Springs in 2016. It was a pivotal experience in my tracking journey as it was the first time after self-teaching for 4 years that I was able to receive some real instruction. Jim was so patient, knowledgeable, and helpful in guiding me and helping me level up and also really connect with the land and the wildlife. Jim’s book is always the one I recommend first to new trackers. He was/is a giant in the tracking world and will be sorely missed. I always wanted to take another class and now wish I made it more of a priority. God speed Jim, until we meet again.” ~ Ron
"Jim was a kind and patient teacher. His classes introduced me to animal tracking. I enjoyed learning from both Jim and Mary for many years. And I will always remember him fondly. I am grateful to him for sharing his knowledge and philosophy.” ~ Steven
“We will cherish Jim's patient, quiet yet enthusiastic manner. Whether teaching or just saying hello Jim was always so sweet and kind. We have learned so much from the classes you and Jim taught that we attended-we often stop to examine tracks wherever we go or listen to birds and wonder what they are saying. Our live have been forever enriched by both of you. Our prayers are with you, your family, friends, students and the community. God Bless.” ~ Kevin & Lori
"I attended Mr Lowery's tracking session at DIRTTIME 2012. Very impressed by his knowledge and teaching skills. Greatly inspired me to "keep my eyes on the ground". My sincere condolences to your family.” ~ Manny
“I am indebted to Jim and Mary for guiding and protecting my vision quest in 2024. It was the birth of a new life in a new me. In fact, today I completed a vision quest protector training course, and I hope in the near future to be guiding and protecting others through their vision quests. Much like Jim and Mary did for me. Jim was a great teacher, a good and caring man, and apparently lived an honorable and fruitful life. I will enjoy reuniting with him when I also take the final walk.” ~ Joe
"Very sad news indeed. Jim was a super nice guy, great tracker and had a good sense of humor, as well as being an excellent instructor. Jim's book is directly in front of me on my bookshelf and I can smile when I see the book, knowing that Jim's teachings made a mark on this world to me and so many others.
My condolences...” ~ Keith
“I just heard that Jim went on his last journey. I know him since maybe 30 years so we never met in person. For a while I have got his newsletter. His tracking book was my companion when I was on my river trips in Alaska and Yukon Territory. Via e-mail we changed ideas about wolves. He left a legacy. Being in contact with his work my life became enriched. Keep on Dancing on the other side.” ~ Wolfgang
"I participated in the Earth Skills vision quest 2 years ago. Even though I only spent a short time with Jim he left a lasting impression on me. His calm, clear state of mind, wealth of knowledge and kind heart I will always remember. Jim’s depth of being continues and contributes to a more present and clear life for us all. Rest in peace.” ~ Gary
“Mary and Jim are a very important part of my life and have been since my very first tracking class at Whittier Narrows Park and the striped skunk track they helped me identify. In that class they taught us to meditate to clear our minds. In subsequent classes they taught us how to connect with the natural world and each other more deeply. Maybe a better thing to say is they taught us to realize how deeply all living things are connected. I am feeling both a tremendous sense of loss and an even greater connection. The Buddhism I practice teaches that when a great teacher dies, the fact that his spirit is no longer tethered to his body allows it to manifest even more strongly. I feel that is true about Jim. Love to all who loved Jim.” ~ Marjorie
"I want to say "Thank you!" to Jim and Mary as one of their students. When I first came to California, I took many classes from Jim and Mary. Those were amazing memories! We tracked bears in the Sierras, and we found Desert tortoises amongst the Joshua trees. They took us to Wind Wolves to study gaits up close with big wild animals. Earth Skills would offer species-specific classes. My favorite was studying wood rats up in Frazier Park. He and Mary knew everything about wood rats. Jim was a tracker who came out of the Tom Brown classes and pushed what he learned there as far as he could. It was amazing to learn tracking from Jim and Mary. If you ever got to read Earth Skills' quarterly newsletter, Dirt Time, you'll know they tracked across California and brought those stories and insights to life. I recently read a couple of old issues. Jim and Mary were all over the southern United States, tracking in crazy places like Sierra Vista way before anyone had heard of it. It's magic when you think about it. It wasn't just the dirt time he put in. While writing his tracking book, he was in the stacks at UCLA, looking through all the Primary research on animals in his tracking guide. He was very dedicated to the craft. And I don't have to say this for those who have taken Earth Skills classes. He and Mary were equal partners. They loved teaching. They visited and camped all over Southern California and were big fans of cross-country skiing in the wintertime. Mary, I hope you get to read this. I hope you know every one of your students from Earth Skills is with you right now. We all love you, and we all love Jim. I am out tracking in Anza-Borrego this weekend. It's been very important to me for decades now. That wouldn't happen without the two of you. Rest in peace, Jim!” ~ Roger
“I was just in Cuyama Valley for a trailing evaluation and was thinking of you and Jim. Then I learned the very sad news of Jim's passing. Jim's and your work had a significant positive impact in my life, especially the vision quest and the intuitive tracking books and classes. The tracking community lost an incredible teacher, but I'm thankful for the wonderful memories and learning resources that he left behind. I am sending my deepest condolences.” ~ Bart