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: ACEAA-Conservacion Amazonica
I am the Wildlife Ecologist for the Cleveland Metroparks. I run a long-term, urban ecology project using over 200 wildlife cameras paired with vegetation monitoring sites. This project investigates wildlife distribution and species relationships in our 24,000+ acre park system.
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Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)
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World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
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BearID Project
Conservation biologist using camera traps to develop automated methods of photoID
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Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University
Wildlife veterinarian & prof in Conservation Medicine
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Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS)
M&E specialist. Conservation Scientist
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Working on object detection and species recognition in camera trap images in the Southern African region.
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A marine research intern and science communicator with experience in photography, filmmaking, and collaborating on multi-disciplinary and community-centered marine research focusing on: fisheries management, seagrass ecosystems, and ocean literacy
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Wildlife Biologist/Conflict Specialist and drone enthusiast in Montana
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Careers
The Survey Coordinator is a 3 year role that will assist Program Managers in recruiting. training and retaining participants in a nation-wide camera trapping program
9 June 2022
Microchip has just announced the 1 GHz SAMA7G54 single-core Arm Cortex-A7 microprocessor (MPU) with MIPI CSI-2 and parallel camera interfaces, as well as up to four I2S, one SPDIF transmitter and receiver, and a 4-...
3 June 2022
30 May 2022
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Check out this round-up of three of the latest conservation tech studies and news. See more conservation tech news by subscribing to our bi-monthly digest.
24 March 2022
Community Announcement
Are you an early career Kenyan conservationist looking to explore emerging conservation technologies while networking with a strong cohort of other female leaders? Apply now for our 6-month Women in Conservation Tech...
8 March 2022
We're proud to introduce the first WILDLABS On the Edge Fellows for 2022, Loretta Schindlerova and Meredith Palmer! Working alongside expert Edge Impulse mentors, these two fellows will use embedded machine learning to...
10 February 2022
This article argues for a conservation method that integrates monitoring technology and community knowledge. Focusing on pangolins, the most trafficked animals globally, the study combines camera trap data from the...
20 December 2021
Camera trap wildlife surveys can generate vast amounts of imagery. A key problem in the wildlife ecology field is that vast amounts of time is spent reviewing this imagery to identify the species detected. Valuable...
20 December 2021
This study breaks ground in outlining a methodology for a system of low-cost, long-term camera traps (Dispersed Environment Acquatic Cameras) that can be deployed over large spatial scales in remote marine environments...
30 November 2021
In Ellie Warren's interview with Sara Beery as part of the Technical Difficulties Editorial Series, they discussed how the hype surrounding machine learning impacts our perceptions of failure, and how conservationists...
23 November 2021
CAIMAN is a product from the Sensing Clues Foundation that automatically classifies animals on images from camera traps. It aims to be available by the end of 2021, contact the Sensing Clues team for more details. This...
18 November 2021
August 2022
Description | Activity | Replies | Groups | Updated |
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Great news Dan! We will be giving the model a go on some of our new eradication projects soon |
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AI for Conservation, Camera Traps | 2 days 15 hours ago | |
Hi Meredith,Here's a little more information about the Arribada cameras. They are solar powered and received enough power in the Antarctic winter continue photographing. We... |
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Camera Traps | 3 days 11 hours ago | |
@gracieermi & I are happy to announce the latest update to the Conservation Tech Directory, bringing our total... |
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Acoustic Monitoring, AI for Conservation, Biologging, Camera Traps, Community Base, Data management and processing tools , Drones, eDNA & Genomics, Remote Sensing & GIS, Software and Mobile Apps | 4 days 9 hours ago | |
Oh awesome, I hadn't heard of those brands beforehand, thanks for mentioning them! |
+4
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Camera Traps | 4 days 10 hours ago | |
I haven't tried anything like a floating mount for camera traps so would love to stay posted on how it goes. It would open up a lot of possibilities, but it sounds quite... |
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Camera Traps | 1 week ago | |
At Ol Pejeta, through the Kifaru Rising project, we have 19 FLIR thermal cameras that we use to address poaching as a conservation challenge.The cameras have been deployed along a... |
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Human-Wildlife Conflict, Camera Traps, Sensors | 1 week 1 day ago | |
Hi Yvan, I dropped this into the AI for Conservation slack group as well, you got this reply this morning: Steph |
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AI for Conservation, Camera Traps | 1 week 3 days ago | |
Thank you Akiba/@Freaklabs!! Super informative. I didn't know much of the hardware inside different models are actually the same, but probably not a surprise.OK, I'll have a look... |
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Camera Traps | 2 weeks ago | |
I forgot to add, I put the cameras in the bag with the doors or camera halves OPEN so the moisture does not stay in a closed camera, we want everything to stay dry. |
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Camera Traps | 2 weeks ago | |
Hi Ann,The best thing to do is contact Nic and Hannes directly: https://wildeyeconservation.org/contact-us/They can provide you with an overview of the software and answer... |
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Camera Traps, East Africa Community | 2 weeks ago | |
You don't want to keep your phone awake constantly. That's gonna consume way to much power.A few years back i actually built exactly what you are looking for (Only the hardware... |
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Camera Traps | 4 weeks 1 day ago | |
Hi! Not quite sure where this question could otherwise fit. I am trying to look for off the shelf video systems to use for interval base video recording of animals (for... |
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Camera Traps | 1 month 4 weeks ago |
New Conservation Tech Directory update
27 June 2022 at 04:45pm
Floating mount/base for cameratrap?
23 June 2022 at 02:36pm
24 June 2022 at 06:07am
I haven't tried anything like a floating mount for camera traps so would love to stay posted on how it goes. It would open up a lot of possibilities, but it sounds quite complicated too.
Thermal cameras for monitoring visitors in highly vulnerable conservation areas
21 June 2022 at 03:44pm
21 June 2022 at 09:20pm
You should talk with the folks at Arribada Initiative, like @Alasdair, as they've used thermal cameras to automatically detect polar bears & alert local response teams (to avoid human-wildlife conflict). The folks at ConservationAI are also doing similar work. RESOLVE also has the Trailguard system
Most of the geofencing projects I know of are working with tags rather than cameras (e.g., LionShield, Save the Elephants) but it sounds like that wouldn't be as relevant for your needs.
The Conservation Tech Directory may have other examples as well.
22 June 2022 at 07:14am
Thanks! Actually a major concern is wether thermal cameras could substitute the use of eco-counters, and therefore save money and reduce complexity in data analysis.
I will contact them.
23 June 2022 at 01:41pm
At Ol Pejeta, through the Kifaru Rising project, we have 19 FLIR thermal cameras that we use to address poaching as a conservation challenge.
The cameras have been deployed along a key fence line and are monitored 24/7 by a dedicated team.
The cameras have inbuilt analytics capabilities which allow us to design virtual fences/boundaries.
An Alert is generated whenever a human or vehicles crosses the virtual fence. Following an alert, appropriate ranger action is undertaken depending on the video content recorded with each alert.
I think the Alert feature available with these cameras could be leveraged to monitor the wildlife visitor interaction, seeing as a video clip is recorded with each alert, the thermal video clips could be reviewed to assess the wildlife-human interaction effects.
MegaDetector v5 release
20 June 2022 at 09:06pm
29 June 2022 at 11:07am
Great news Dan! We will be giving the model a go on some of our new eradication projects soon
Snapshot USA Survey Coordinator
9 June 2022 at 12:20pm
New microprocessor for low power AI camera & audio applications from Microchip
3 June 2022 at 08:36pm
How do you store your camera traps?
2 June 2022 at 05:21pm
8 June 2022 at 01:15pm
Hi Erika,
Suggestions coming in over on Twitter:
17 June 2022 at 04:37pm
I store my Cameras in one gallon plastic bags with a zipper lock. Most cameras will fit in that size bag. There is a note card that goes in the bag, The note card lasts longer in the bag and does not smear which it will if you write on the outside and is very important if you are running a lot of cameras. You can make a nice note card with a word processor and lay out everything you want to note. The Notes can be whatever you want to track but the most useful is the brand and model, the date the camera was purchased, The Date it went into the storage bag, Notes on if the camera has been updated. The camera number, the password if the camera needs a password, The person who put the camera in the bag with their full name and the date, A note on how the camera did on it's last deployment, Camera works fine, YES, or whatever might be wrong is listed. I would also list any special features that the camera can perform, such has WIFI enable, Cell Camera, etc. I also make sure the Cameras number is easy to see on the card. When the cameras go out they should have a camera number on the inside of the camera so you can track it in your field notes and make sure all the bags come back from deployment so they are ready for when the cameras come back in from the field.
The batteries are removed from the camera, When I bring a camera in from the field I test each battery with a battery tester. If all the batteries are still good that information is noted on the bag card that the batteries were tested and their strength. Keeping the batteries with the camera keeps you from mixing batteries of various strengths. Remove any bad batteries and note if a new one has been added. If you decide to replace all the batteries, Note on the card that they are NEW and their strength because all new batteries should be tested to make sure you did not get a bad one. If batteries are not available put that on the Note card, NOTE, removing the batteries will usually require all the settings to be redone, I still put on the note card, CAMERA NEEDS NEW SETTINGS.
I also put in the SD Cards, with SD size on the Camera Card. Some of my older cameras only take a 32 gig or smaller, while my new cameras take 125 Gig SD cards. If putting out a camera for a very long run I want to grab one that can take a large SD card. I usually have two SD cards for each camera so they can be swapped out but keep the same cards. Put on the Camera Card that the SD card should reformatted before the next deployment or you can reformat the SD card before the batteries are removed, but NOTE on the camera card that the SD cards are formatted and ready to go. This is a good idea so you know before storage that the SD cards work.
Last I add one packet of Silica Dry packs. The bags are 5 grams. I use DRY and DRY. I got them in a 50 packet bag from Amazon, about 8 bucks. They are cheap and do a great job of removing all the moisture from the Camera, batteries, SD card, and keeps them dry for even very very long storage.
Hope this helps, when the camera number goes up the more you need to keep them organized.
17 June 2022 at 04:40pm
I forgot to add, I put the cameras in the bag with the doors or camera halves OPEN so the moisture does not stay in a closed camera, we want everything to stay dry.
Camera Trap Image analyzer
2 June 2022 at 10:41am
9 June 2022 at 04:31pm
Hello Stephanie,
Specifically I want to use trap tagger for analyzing camera trap images .I would be glad if I would get someone who will take me thought the software bit by bit.
Thanks,
16 June 2022 at 09:57am
Hi Ann
I'm afraid I don't know anything about trap tagger, but if you are looking to analyse camera trap data, and you are in Sub-Saharan Africa, you could also give WildID a try.
WildID does automatic species recognition in camera trap images, and then allows you to further annotate and tag your images with notes and other features. It works for 70 Southern African species, and the AI model was trained using images from Kenya and Tanzania, among other African countries.
You can register for a free trial of WildID at https://www.wildid.app - it would just take you a couple of minutes to register and get your first few images uploaded and detected, so you could see how it might work for you.
There is a comprehensive User Guide at https://userguide.wildid.app
I would also be very happy to give you a demo or a training session, and take you through the software. You can contact me on [email protected]
Hope this is helpful, and good luck with your project.
Kind regards, Kate
17 June 2022 at 03:58pm
Hi Ann,
The best thing to do is contact Nic and Hannes directly:
https://wildeyeconservation.org/contact-us/
They can provide you with an overview of the software and answer any questions you have. I've heard good things from a couple of others who have tried out TrapTagger.
Best,
Matt
BoomBox camera trap models?
1 June 2022 at 06:46pm
4 June 2022 at 02:54am
Hi Pen-Yuan.
This is Akiba from FreakLabs. For using a non-verified camera trap, we normally work with you to get the camera trap open and take high resolution zoom shots of the critical parts. We try to identify the circuitry to tap into remotely that way. Sometimes it's a bit tricky and we actually need to get the camera in house to probe with an oscilloscope (unless you happen to have one and are handy with it). In that case, we ask to ship it to us and then we would ship it back once the interface is verified. Unfortunately Boombox isn't exactly plug-and-play since it's essentially an after-market camera trap mod.
One of the tricky things about Boombox being based on consumer trailcams is that the models churn quite quickly. We've found that devices within a specific product name, ie: Browning Strike Force, Browning Strike Force Pro, Browning Strike Force HD Pro X, Browning Strike Force Extreme are just marketing differentiations but contain the same hardware. That said, if it's not on the list, we'll likely ask to get pictures initially to see if we can verify or identify the critical parts on it that Boombox would hook into.
Once you get Boombox, we take people through the steps of basic soldering technique to attach the wires as well as set up the software on their system so they can modify as needed and download into Boombox.
We'll be adding more tutorials and videos on Boombox attachment, compatibility, and techniques soon so stay tuned. In the meantime, send us an email from the Boombox page and we can walk you through any questions you might have.
Akiba
17 June 2022 at 06:40pm
Thank you Akiba/@Freaklabs!! Super informative. I didn't know much of the hardware inside different models are actually the same, but probably not a surprise.
OK, I'll have a look at what cameras I can obtain, and contact you through the email on the Boombox website. Thanks again!!
Can deep learning identify seabirds? (species, within-species, individual)
25 May 2022 at 08:24pm
21 June 2022 at 04:50pm
Hi Maureen, thanks for sharing. I'll look into it!
21 June 2022 at 04:55pm
Update: I asked the same question on twitter so I'm sharing answers I got there:
21 June 2022 at 05:41pm
Hi Yvan,
I dropped this into the AI for Conservation slack group as well, you got this reply this morning:
Steph
CV4Ecology Summer School
3 May 2022 at 06:13pm
23 June 2022 at 08:49pm
@Rob_Appleby @Freaklabs