Camera traps have been a key part of the conservation toolkit for decades. Remotely triggered video or still cameras allow researchers and managers to monitor cryptic species, survey populations, and support enforcement responses by documenting illegal activities. Increasingly, machine learning is being implemented to automate the processing of data generated by camera traps.
A recent study published showed that, despite being well-established and widely used tools in conservation, progress in the development of camera traps has plateaued since the emergence of the modern model in the mid-2000s, leaving users struggling with many of the same issues they faced a decade ago. That manufacturer ratings have not improved over time, despite technological advancements, demonstrates the need for a new generation of innovative conservation camera traps. Join this group and explore existing efforts, established needs, and what next-generation camera traps might look like - including the integration of AI for data processing through initiatives like Wildlife Insights and Wild Me.
Group Highlights:
Our past Tech Tutors seasons featured multiple episodes for experienced and new camera trappers. How Do I Repair My Camera Traps? featured WILDLABS members Laure Joanny, Alistair Stewart, and Rob Appleby and featured many troubleshooting and DIY resources for common issues.
For camera trap users looking to incorporate machine learning into the data analysis process, Sara Beery's How do I get started using machine learning for my camera traps? is an incredible resource discussing the user-friendly tool MegaDetector.
And for those who are new to camera trapping, Marcella Kelly's How do I choose the right camera trap(s) based on interests, goals, and species? will help you make important decisions based on factors like species, environment, power, durability, and more.
Finally, for an in-depth conversation on camera trap hardware and software, check out the Camera Traps Virtual Meetup featuring Sara Beery, Roland Kays, and Sam Seccombe.
And while you're here, be sure to stop by the camera trap community's collaborative troubleshooting data bank, where we're compiling common problems with the goal of creating a consistent place to exchange tips and tricks!
Header photo: Stephanie O'Donnell
Independent Researcher (Conservation Biologist)
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 4 Groups
- @iska1818
- | iska
nature nerd, leopard and eagle lover
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 7 Groups
- 0 Resources
- 1 Discussions
- 3 Groups
Conservation Biologist; Research interest Human Dimensions on Wildlife Conservation and Conservation Tech
- 2 Resources
- 5 Discussions
- 7 Groups
- @adanger24
- | She/Her
Arribada Initiative
Senior Project Manager and Field Specialist
- 2 Resources
- 16 Discussions
- 10 Groups
- @Blessing
- | She
I'm a wildife conservationist currently working in conservation Technology as a Data Technician. I'm very passionate about conserving wildlife and exploring more in the conservation world.
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 2 Groups
- @NatsaniDube
- | Mr
I am a skilled ecologist, animal scientist, conservationist, and environmentalist with experience in wildlife, ecological modelling, statistics, agriculture, and natural resource management. I aim to make a positive contribution to these fields through research and conservation.
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 2 Groups
Passionate about wildlife and impact investment with an academic, research and practitioner background in environmental science, environmental law and green criminology pursued in Central America, China, Tanzania and the United Kingdom I am driven to decolonise the research on c
- 1 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 9 Groups
Dedicated wildlife conservationist with over three years of hands-on experience in field research and conservation. Through extensive fieldwork i developed a strong foundation in various conservation techniques, including camera trap deployment, plant inventory methods.
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 9 Groups
- @Venance
- | Mr
As a wildlife conservationist, I am deeply committed to the Ecology and Community Development. I help communities balance conservation with livelihoods, promoting beekeeping with the motto “Shusha Shoka, Pandisha Mzinga (Drop the Axe, Raise the Hive).
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 8 Groups
National Geographic Society
Experience utilizing technology to inspire, educate, and create solutions to some of our biggest challenges. Currently, head of the National Geographic Society Exploration Technology Lab, overseeing the development and deployment of research and storytelling technologies.
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 16 Groups
I'm a wildlife ecologist with interests in a range of technology.
- 0 Resources
- 22 Discussions
- 5 Groups
Article
#Tech4Wildlife Photo Challenge: Our Favourites from 2019
WILDLABS Team
Happy World Wildlife Day! To celebrate, this week we've asked our community to share photos showing how they are using tech in the field or the lab, using the #Tech4Wildlife hashtag.
3 March 2019
Article
Arribada recently returned from field sites in Assam, India where they tested the image quality and detection abilities of low-cost thermal sensors for detecting elephants in conflict areas. Arribada is working on these...
1 March 2019
Article
Getting up close and personal with Antarctica's orcas
WILDLABS Team
In this case study, Science Reporter Jamie Morton tells the story of how Kiwi scientists are teaming up with a local underwater robotics company to gain world-first insights into the lives of whales in Antarctica.
4 February 2019
Article
A comprehensive aerial survey of whales and dolphins off the coast of South Africa supported by a range of organisations including Fauna & Flora International (FFI) has recorded an astounding 1,106 southern right...
22 November 2018
Article
Canopy cameras shed new light on monkey business in Brazil
WILDLABS Admin
A team of Brazilian biologists supported by the Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP) is unlocking the secrets of one of the world’s most fragile and threatened biodiversity hotspots thanks to the success of a...
22 November 2018
Article
Camera traps designed for animals are now invading human privacy
Rogelio Luque-Lora
Although invaluable for conservation and ecological research, camera traps frequently take pictures of people as well as wildlife. This has important implications for privacy and human rights and may ultimately...
22 November 2018
Article
Ted Schmitt joined us for a lunchtime lecture in which he shared his experiences working across Africa the past five years with protected area managers, anti-trafficking organisations, and scientists to effectively...
22 November 2018
Article
In this case study, WILDLABS member Sol Milne takes us through his Ph.D. work investigating how changing land-use is affecting orangutan distribution in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. With the help of five local research...
22 October 2018
Article
Machine learning is widely recognized as the solution to camera trap data processing, but a user-friendly and broadly-accessible system for putting this tech to use has not yet been developed. In this case study,...
1 October 2018
Article
Motion-sensing wildlife-tracking cameras in South Sudan have captured 425,000 photos, documenting species not previously known to be found in this richly forested area. The team is now asking for your help to identify ...
22 August 2018
Article
In this case study, Sam Seccombe documents his efforts to track down an off-the-shelf remote camera setup with the capability to stream quality, reliable video from the field. As he explains, it was a slighlty more...
25 July 2018
Article
This latest chapter in the Conservation Technology Series from WWF-UK looks at the opportunities, challenges and state-of-the-art of satellite remote sensing for conservation applications. This issue reviews available...
23 April 2018
June 2025
July 2025
April 2023
February 2023
event
Stephanie O'Donnell
58 Products
Recently updated products
4 Products
Recently updated products
| Description | Activity | Replies | Groups | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thanks Akiba! That's the conclusion I got to as well. Glad to have your vote too. Thanks! |
|
Camera Traps | 2 months 2 weeks ago | |
| Hi Dan, Not right now but I can envision many uses. A key problem in RS is data streams for validation and training of ML models, its really not yet a solved problem. Any... |
|
Emerging Tech, AI for Conservation, Animal Movement, Build Your Own Data Logger Community, Camera Traps, Connectivity, Conservation Tech Training and Education, Data management and processing tools, Geospatial, Sensors | 3 months ago | |
| Hello!I'm searching for a solution to tag EXIF metadata to images on an embedded device.I'm currently developing a camera trap that... |
|
Camera Traps | 2 months 3 weeks ago | |
| Thanks! Yes, we added electronics to power an external UV light only during periods when the camera is set to take pictures. |
+23
|
Autonomous Camera Traps for Insects, Camera Traps | 2 months 3 weeks ago | |
| I don't know any, but we have the same program idea (basically democratizing resource on conservation tech) that focuses on Indonesia region. But we are progressing slow.... |
|
Camera Traps | 2 months 3 weeks ago | |
| Hey Bob, thanks for the kind words! Your articles on Winterberry Wildlife have really been a big inspiration for me! There are extremely limited numbers of articles on trial... |
|
AI for Conservation, Camera Traps | 3 months ago | |
| Short update: the latest version 13.0.9 of Firetail is now available from https://www.firetail.de |
|
Animal Movement, Camera Traps, Software Development | 3 months 1 week ago | |
| Thank you, Dan -- I should have known you would have something like this! The tesseract package in R was quite simple to tune for my case, so I'm going to run it in batch tomorrow... |
|
Camera Traps | 3 months 1 week ago | |
| Hi Lucie @luciegallegos ,Great to see ecoSecrets and happy to collaborate in any way I can! All EcoAssist's models are open-source, and the inference code too. With regards to... |
+10
|
Software Development, AI for Conservation, Camera Traps | 3 months 1 week ago | |
| Another question. Right now pretty much all camera traps trigger on either PIR sensors or small AI models. Small AI models would tend to have a limitation that they would... |
|
AI for Conservation, Camera Traps, Data management and processing tools, Open Source Solutions, Software Development | 3 months 1 week ago | |
| Thanks so much!! |
+10
|
Camera Traps, Latin America Community | 3 months 1 week ago | |
| Some thoughts as I have experience working with some of the tech mentioned... Corrodible pin@htarold Did a great job explaining how that works. This pin is used in the pop-up... |
+10
|
Camera Traps | 3 months 1 week ago |
