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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thanks :)We are working on making it smaller and simpler using the latest openMV board. |
+15
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Camera Traps | 6 months 3 weeks ago | |
| Hi everyoneMy first post on this site - not sure if this is the proper group.I've placed a few trail cams in Florida. After 3 months and... |
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Camera Traps | 6 months 3 weeks ago | |
| Hi Lucy,I now realised it is an old thread and you most likely have already found a solution long ago but this might be of interest to others.As mentioned previously, it is... |
+5
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Camera Traps, Data management and processing tools, Open Source Solutions, Software Development | 6 months 4 weeks ago | |
| Yes baboons. But this area has a few different primate species. In the weekend three species were present.Yes, the thermal ones will be spectacular. I wondering what other species... |
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Camera Traps | 7 months 1 week ago | |
| Hi Brett, I am interested in developing really low cost multi channel underwater acoustic recorders. Can you tell me a bit more about the board and stuff you were using... |
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Build Your Own Data Logger Community, Acoustics, Camera Traps, Climate Change, East Africa Community, Marine Conservation, Open Source Solutions, Protected Area Management Tools | 7 months 1 week ago | |
| For the record now that this is here:This error typically occurs when the wrong number of classes is given to timm.create_model. You should try to specify num_classes=30... |
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Camera Traps, AI for Conservation | 7 months 2 weeks ago | |
| Product added to the Inventory : Tikee |
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Camera Traps | 7 months 2 weeks ago | |
| Do you use camera traps? If so, we'd love if you could take five minutes to fill out this survey: tinyurl.com/zambasurveyWith our WILDLABS... |
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AI for Conservation, Camera Traps, Data management and processing tools, Software Development, Open Source Solutions | 7 months 3 weeks ago | |
| Hi Phil, Thanks for sharing - this is really interesting work! Seems like a cool integration of ground-based (or ocean-based) data and satellite data, with a community... |
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Geospatial, Acoustics, Camera Traps, eDNA & Genomics | 8 months ago | |
| Dear team,I am new to WildLabs. It's great to find all the interesting and informative discussions.We are exploring deploying "connected" camera traps in wetlands (2 hectares for... |
+8
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Camera Traps | 8 months 1 week ago | |
| I've deployed and trained others to climb and deploy arboreal cameras in several countries and I agree with Lucy's approach. Leaving a thin cord (like a throw line) to quicken... |
+6
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Camera Traps | 8 months 2 weeks ago | |
| Hi Karen,Yeah the discharge curves of lithium cells tend to be very stable for a long time and then drop sharply at the end. Akiba and Brett's advice below re: condensation... |
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Camera Traps, AI for Conservation | 8 months 2 weeks ago |
