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
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Careers
The Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies (WFE), SLU, Umeå, is looking for a postdoc with strong interests in wildlife conservation technology.
15 January 2025
Article
Announcement of Project SPARROW
Zhongqi Miao
SPARROW: Solar-Powered Acoustics and Remote Recording Observation Watch
18 December 2024
Careers
Postdoc on camera trapping, remote sensing, and AI for wildlife studies
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
The Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies (WFE), SLU, Umeå, is looking for a postdoc with strong interests in wildlife conservation technology. She/he will work within Big Picture, a European project...
18 December 2024
Careers
Postdoc on camera trapping, remote sensing, and AI for wildlife studies
Tim R. Hofmeester
Fully funded 2 year position within a Biodiversa+ funded project
16 December 2024
Link
AmazonTEC: 4D Technology for Biodiversity Monitoring in the Amazon (English)
Elsa Carla De Grandi
Interesting webinar on the use of advanced technologies(e.g. Artificial Intelligence, cloud computing, drones, camera traps and satellites) for biodiversity monitoring in the Amazon. Also available in Spanish.
25 November 2024
Article
Apply Now: AI for Conservation Office Hours 2025
Jake Burton and 1 more
Are you stuck on an AI or ML challenge in your conservation work? Apply now for the chance to receive tailored expert advice from data scientists! The deadline for applications is Monday 9 December 2024.
13 November 2024
Article
📢Declas - New Open-Source Tool for Camera Trap Data🎉
Stanislas Mahussi Gandaho
Managing large volumes of camera trap data can be time-consuming and labor-intensive, especially when it comes to detecting and classifying wildlife. To tackle these challenges, Declas v1.0.0 has been released—an open-...
30 September 2024
Article
Join us in celebrating this year’s Community Choice Award winners!
15 August 2024
Article
Vote for your favorite submissions that best demonstrate conservation impact, novel innovation/discovery, and strong storytelling of the work and the sector.
12 August 2024
Link
AI Based Animal Detection Demo App for iPhone
Robert (Bob) Zak
In this post, I describe an animal recognition demonstration app I developed for the iPhone. The “MegaDetector-Demo” app uses the latest “MegaDetector” animal detector model from PyTorch-Wildlife to identify animals,...
11 August 2024
Link
Rapid Camera Trap labeling with ChatGPT
Sara Olsson
Hi all, I've published a blog post on rapidly labeling camera trap data using ChatGPT for species identification and a simple object detection model to get the bounding boxes. While presented in Edge Impulse, this...
17 July 2024
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| Description | Activity | Replies | Groups | Updated |
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| Hi all, We're excited to welcome Siyu Yang to Tech Tutors to chat about getting started with Megadetector! For all you AI... |
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AI for Conservation, Camera Traps, Data management and processing tools | 3 years 10 months ago | |
| I've been wondering about rangefinding/size-measuring technologies that could be incorporated into camera traps for a long time, and am following this thread and the work of @... |
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Camera Traps | 3 years 10 months ago | |
| Thank you Stephanie, |
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Camera Traps | 3 years 10 months ago | |
| Hi Doug. It's actually an interesting application, however it might actually be cheaper to try and put together an off-the-shelf solution rather than go custom. There... |
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Camera Traps | 3 years 10 months ago | |
| That's such a cool list. Thanks for posting it! Akiba |
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Camera Traps | 3 years 10 months ago | |
| Sharing this for COS4Cloud project. I am not part of the project. if you have questions, there are emails at the end for Alex and Angela... |
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Camera Traps | 3 years 11 months ago | |
| Hi, Maybe try sourcing from Aliexpress? I an't speak to the quality, but at some price point it becomes worth looking into this option. -harold |
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Camera Traps | 3 years 11 months ago | |
| Hi Michelle, I've worked on a few arboreal camera trap surveys so I might be able to share some information. With other researchers we've been working on a paper that... |
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Camera Traps | 3 years 11 months ago | |
| I just did a quick search and it doesn't look like there's a place where you can ship them in Mexico. However, at least in Mexico City, there are a bunch of collection... |
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Camera Traps, Latin America Community | 4 years ago | |
| Hello I understand how frustating that can be....I would try with the camera closer. 2.5m seem too far away for rat...specially that it must have some vegetation between. Also... |
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Camera Traps | 4 years ago | |
| Hi. Apparently it's a common problem with Spypoint cameras. I recommend checking out this thread and testing out the reboot procedure. Akiba |
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Camera Traps | 4 years 1 month ago | |
| While the manufacturer might claim that the camera requires 8xAA at 1.5v each, most likely it will work just fine with NiMH batteries that have nominal voltage of 1.2V. I have... |
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Camera Traps | 4 years 1 month ago |
