MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – In just 10 years, Snapshot Wisconsin trail cameras have taken more than 100 million photos of state wildlife.
“We get pictures of wildlife all the way from our very smallest critters up to some of our largest visitors to the state, like moose,” said Christine Anhalt-Depies, a Snapshot Wisconsin research scientist.
The program started back in 2015, and now, there are over 2,000 cameras spread across every Wisconsin county, all managed by volunteers.
“This kind of effort would absolutely not be possible without the number of volunteers who participate in the project. It’s generated a massive amount of data that’s available for wildlife science and decision making,” said Anhalt-Depies.
The program is run by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Program researchers use the photos to monitor wildlife populations, study rare species, and inform management decisions, like hunting regulations.
“The pictures that are generated from Snapshot are a really great way to monitor wildlife,” said Anhalt-Depies. “They help us to understand how species are distributed across the state as well as through time. So are species populations increasing or decreasing, and that information then is used to help make wildlife management decisions.”
Every three months, program volunteers change the camera batteries, upload the photos, and try to identify the species they captured images of.
“As a hunter, I know a fair amount of species, but every once in a while, something would pop up. And you’re like, I didn’t know bobcats were this far South. That’s new to me,” said Cody Kastorff. He manages three Snapshot Wisconsin cameras.
“So that’s one of the reasons I started hosting these cameras, I didn’t know what I didn’t know. And in the process, I’ve learned like, what’s a weasel? Didn’t know they were here,” said Kastorff.
To help with identification, 27,000 people around the world help Snapshot Wisconsin crowdsource species identifications on their website, Zooniverse.
“More than one person looks at each photo, so we end up getting this highly accurate consensus classification. No prior experience needed. You can just jump on and start identifying photos,” said Anhalt-Depies.
Snapshot Wisconsin has several resources for the public, including a photo library, data dashboard, and K-12 classroom materials.
In celebration of the program’s 10th anniversary, there is also an interactive photo collection, featuring the best photo from each Wisconsin county.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer or helping identify species, head to the Snapshot Wisconsin website.
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