Camera Trapping

Camera Trapping

Many animals are reclusive or diurnal. This makes it difficult to observe them. Trapping larger mammals in restrictive traps is traumatic and poses the threat of injury to the animal. Camera trapping provides a limited view of these animals in their natural habitat. Special cameras that Cameras are triggered by movement, and equipped with electronic lighting, which can be used, day or night, to record these  animals’ activities.

Our Team

Our Team

Our team was comprised of twelve volunteers and two Principal Investigators. The Principal Investigators are both research scientists from Oxford University in London, England. The twelve volunteers included; the three fellowship teachers, a retired music teacher, two doctors (a radiologist and a General Practioner), two financial auditors, an operating room nurse, a professional midwife, a retired training consultant and a government civil servant. We came from Australia, The United Kingdom, Ireland and The United States (Rhode Island, New York, Illinois, Virginia and Connecticut). And of course, our loyal tracking dog, Lycos (origin questionable). Our youngest member was 37 years old and our oldest was 71. Two volunteers were men and ten were women. We all hiked between five and 6 miles per day for about eleven of the days we were here. We got VERY dirty, and loved every minute!

Last On Site Lunch/Breaking Camp

Last Traps and Breaking Camp

Last Traps and Breaking Camp

Today was our final day of deep forest trapping. The cooling weather and the shortening days may account for the declining numbers. Once again the Predominant catches were Meadow Voles. A few Red Back Voles were also caught. No Bog Lemmings were caught today. The Only three White footed mice that were caught were in our kitchen! We placed one in a small tank for a brief photo session and then released him in the woods.

The Gazebo was taken down and packed in the truck. Immediately following the removal of our trusty Gazebo, lunch was enjoyed in a cooling fall RAIN!!

Survival

Where there's smoke, there's fire (sometimes!)

Simply Surviving

After a brief review of the basic concepts of emergency survival, compass use and sun location, team members built snares designed to catch small mammals. A pine sapling was used to power the snare and a twine catch loop was set in the center of a known animal trail. A snare of this size and type would be effective in catching raccoons, porcupines, rabbits, hares and skunks. Although skunks would clearly be an inadvisable dinner choice!
Cooking dinner posed a new problem. How to start a fire? Fire by friction was the choice. Team members constructed a bow and spindle. The bow was used to rapidly turn the spindle, generating enough friction to cause the tip of the spindle to become red hot and ignite some birch tinder. Due to a light rain, we were unable to ignite the tinder, but team members did generate enough heat to produce smoke.