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
- @hyodopenguin
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I am currently a rising junior at UC Berkeley studying data science. I hope to apply data with biodiversity, especially by utilizing camera traps for species classification. People in conservation tech are truly living my dream careers, and I can't wait to get even more inspired!
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- @Slater
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I am the Conservation Science Director at HawkWatch International, where I've worked since 2006. My work focuses mainly on conservation and research of Golden Eagles, including nesting, tracking, and winter ecology.
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Systems Engineer at Edge Impulse, experiencce with hands-on edge machine learning for wildlife conservation
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I work as in-house ecologist for a renewable energy developer in Ireland. Nature inclusive design, emerging tech and doing it better for biodiversity.
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- @rays45693
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PhD Student in Computer Science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, working on wildlife conservation using deep learning
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MS seabird biology student
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- @tsmstrat
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Careers
Postdoc: Biologging & Camera Trap Data Integration
Lacey Hughey
The Smithsonian National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to help us integrate movement data & camera trap data with global conservation policy.
22 April 2024
Article
Starting a Conservation Technology Career with Vainess Laizer
Esther Githinji
Watch our interview with pioneering young Tanzanian vulture researcher Vainess Laizer! Her research investigating the breeding success of white-backed vultures in the western corridor of the Serengeti ecosystem using...
16 April 2024
Link
"We present the multivariate Hawkes process (MHP) and show how it can be used to analyze interactions between several species using camera trap data."
15 April 2024
Careers
Research Assistant, Lion Landscapes in Nanyuki
Esther Githinji
Are you passionate about wildlife conservation and eager to contribute to meaningful research efforts? Lion Landscapes is seeking a dedicated and proactive Research Assistant to join their team.
11 April 2024
Combining camera traps and online surveys provided a more comprehensive understanding of mammal communities in anthropogenic landscapes, increasing both spatial coverage and the number of species sightings.
9 April 2024
Link
These researchers used camera trapping as a lens to view mammal responses to changes in human activity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
3 April 2024
Article
The Variety Hour: 2024 Lineup
Alex Rood
You’re invited to the WILDLABS Variety Hour, a monthly event that connects you to conservation tech's most exciting projects, research, and ideas. We can't wait to bring you a whole new season of speakers and...
22 March 2024
Careers
The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (SNZCBI) is seeking two postdoctoral fellows to engage more directly with identifying conservation metrics for vertebrate communities and populations.
14 March 2024
Link
Our new paper uses data from the citizen science project, Seabird Watch (hosted on the Zooniverse platform; seabirdwatch.org), to measure seabird phenology. Volunteers marked birds in time-lapse images to investigate...
13 March 2024
Link
EcoAssist has now incorporated the Deepfaune v1.1 species identification model for camera trap images, capable of recognizing 26 European species. The model is developed by Deepfaune initiative. More information is...
12 March 2024
Article
Catch up on the conservation tech discussions and events that happened during World Wildlife Day 2024!
7 March 2024
Article
EcoAssist introduces a free African species identification model for camera trap images, capable of recognising 30 species.
5 March 2024
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Marcella Kelly
June 2020
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| Description | Activity | Replies | Groups | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hi everyone,We all know camera traps are great at telling us what species showed up, where and when—and sometimes even ... |
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Camera Traps, Data management and processing tools | 12 hours 2 minutes ago | |
| We have spent the past 9 months taking the lessons learnt from the AMI system to build an automated moth monitoring system... |
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Autonomous Camera Traps for Insects, Camera Traps | 1 day 8 hours ago | |
| Lively and informative discussion, I would very much like to contribute if there is some active development work with regards to this. I have recent experience with using... |
+31
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Data management and processing tools, Camera Traps, Software Development | 5 days 23 hours ago | |
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Latin America Community, Acoustics, AI for Conservation, Camera Traps, Drones, Early Career | 2 weeks 6 days ago | ||
| @LukeD, I am looping in @Kamalama997 from the TRAPPER team who is working on porting MegaDetector and other models to RPi with the AI HAT+. Kamil will have more specific questions. |
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AI for Conservation, Camera Traps | 3 weeks ago | |
| Hi Ștefan! In my current case, I am trying to detect and count Arctic fox pups. Unfortunately, Arctic fox does not seem to be included in the training data of SpeciesNet but... |
+16
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AI for Conservation, Camera Traps | 3 weeks 1 day ago | |
| Interesting. Thanks for the explanation. Nice to hear your passion showing through. |
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AI for Conservation, Camera Traps, Data management and processing tools, Open Source Solutions, Software Development | 3 weeks 3 days ago | |
| Weeks with continuous inference would require a pretty big battery. I expect you would need some kind of customisation and maybe quite a bit of compromise to last weeks and on a... |
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Camera Traps | 3 weeks 3 days ago | |
| 📸 Do you use camera traps in your work? Take part in our survey!Hi everyone! I’m currently a final-year engineering... |
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Camera Traps, AI for Conservation, Data management and processing tools, Open Source Solutions, Software Development | 3 weeks 4 days ago | |
| That's great! |
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Camera Traps | 1 month ago | |
| True, the US ecosystem is a challenging space right now, for basically all sectors. We should not let the US chaos prevent us from engaging with opportunities in other... |
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AI for Conservation, Camera Traps, Connectivity, Drones, Emerging Tech, Ethics of Conservation Tech, Marine Conservation, Sensors | 1 month 1 week ago | |
| Yes, I know about this big limitation,As far as I know they are working to increase the coverage available for this solution.For trusted developers, there are more regions... |
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Connectivity, Camera Traps | 1 month 1 week ago |
