Week 8 on Wasatch Wildlife Watch: Volunteer Updates

Wasatch Wildlife Watch Volunteers,

Next week is Week 8 on Wasatch Wildlife Watch! Plan to check your camera between June 21-June 27. Don't forget to check the batteries and SD card and fill out your data sheet.

Please let Austin know if you are NOT able to complete the visit as planned.

Thank you for all your great work on the project. We've loved seeing the photos so far from your cameras and are grateful to have such committed volunteers.

Project Impacts: Urbanization and Wildlife

The first scientific investigation directly incorporating data from Wasatch Wildlife Watch has been published! 

This study, led by Dr. Justin Suraci and including project leads Austin Green and Mary Pendergast as authors, used camera trap data from multiple projects across the country to investigate whether or not scientists, city planners, and wildlife managers could use species traits to pre-emptively identify which species may be more or less susceptible to the effects of urbanization.

If you would like to read the full article, please let Austin know. Thank you for making this important work possible and supporting wildlife.

Volunteer Highlight

Our Volunteer Highlight this week is...Mary Ann White! Mary has been a community scientist for Wasatch Wildlife Watch for two years. 

Volunteer Highlight Mary Ann White in Utah mountains.

Volunteer Highlight Mary Ann White in Utah mountains.

What originally drew you to participate in Wasatch Wildlife Watch?  I had recently retired and was looking for a volunteer opportunity that would take me outside. I saw an article in the Salt Lake Tribune about Wasatch Wildlife Watch, and that seemed to be a good fit for me. I am interested in wildlife and conservation, so the goals of the the project effort fit the bill.

What has been your favorite part of volunteering so far? I love seeing which animals have visited the camera site. I've seen photos of moose, cougars, and bobcats, along with the more common deer, fox, etc. The sites I've been assigned are not remote, so it's amazing to see the diverse wildlife so close to roads, living areas, and hiking trails. I also appreciated being able to visit Red Butte Canyon with Austin and his team, since the conservation area is not open to the public. It's fantastic to have such a beautiful and unspoiled area so close to the city!

Why is volunteering/conservation/wildlife important to you? I'm concerned about the ability of wildlife to survive and thrive as development encroaches on their habitat. The data collected by Wasatch Wildlife Watch ideally will help mitigate the effect of human activities on wildlife. The presence of wildlife in our surroundings enriches our experience and connects us to our environment. We should do our best to avoid deleterious impacts of human activity on animals and the environment.   

Any field stories you'd like to share? One of my sites was visited by a mother cougar and her two cubs, and they chilled in front of the camera for a while, which was fun to see. The cougar also liked to rub up against the camera--I guess she was claiming it as her own. I realized when I reviewed the images that I came to the site about an hour after the cougar left on one occasion. I also noticed a moose while I was counting the number of cars passing at one of my sites. I packed up the camera and left in the opposite direction ASAP.

Start-of-Season Survey & Prize Drawing

Will you take a few minutes to fill our our start-of-season survey? It's quick, helps us better engage the community in conservation, and enters you in a drawing for an outdoor prize!

Have You Joined Our Facebook Group?

A bobcat image from a project camera.

A bobcat image from a project camera.

If you haven't already, make sure to join our Facebook group to hear some neat updates from Austin, share your experiences, and connect with other volunteers on the project!

Don't Forget...

1 - An optional image analysis training is coming up soon! Sign up for the Image Analysis email list to receive updates.

2 - Make edits as needed to your completed Camera Rotation Schedule at any point in the season.

3 - Fill out our training survey if you haven't yet.

4 - Stay safe! Remember to go out with a partner when possible or let someone know where you're headed and when you'll return. 

5 - You can order T-shirts at any point in the season.

Project Resources

Thank You

Thank you for your commitment to wildlife in the Wasatch. We could not maintain this crucial project without you.

 

Happy hiking,

The Wasatch Wildlife Watch Team

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