The Wildlife Camera Project: Motion Triggered Cameras and Habitat Restoration

by Madeline Thompson, Communications and Development Fellow

What is wildlife? Is it the bobcat that wanders the woods in some remote area? Or is it a squirrel you see outside your window, maybe even the little fly that buzzes in your house? Regardless of size, wildlife can be found all around us. Protecting these creatures near and far requires a deeper understanding of them and their habitats. Wildlife cameras can offer an insight into their world that can drive both inspiration and action—and that is exactly what we at Sycamore have done with our Wildlife Camera Project.

The Wildlife Camera Project began with an idea to engage the community with Sycamore’s emerging major restoration efforts. Land Stewardship Director Chris Fox and Communication Director Kate Hammel spearheaded the project that took root in the planning stages of large-scale habitat restoration at the Sam Shine Foundation Preserve in 2020. This preserve is a key addition to the patchwork of protected areas in our Beanblossom Creek Conservation Area. Monitoring of the Shine Preserve with wildlife cameras has enhanced stewardship across this protected habitat corridor.

The window that these cameras opened into the natural world has allowed Sycamore to more intimately and efficiently see wildlife and their natural behaviors under minimal disturbance. Where traditional surveys would take hours of field time, the cameras condense efforts by continuously recording data while allowing review for deeper analysis and species confirmation.

At the Shine Preserve, the cameras have been influential in conservation. They have set a baseline for restoration efforts while continuing to monitor the impact of habitat restoration efforts. The real-time input has guided improvements by showing species presence and documenting landscape-level changes—most noticeable being the beavers with whom we are working to reestablish precious wetlands.

Setting Up the Cameras

At Sycamore, we mostly use Browning Recon Force series trail cameras based on our research and recommendations from wildlife camera expert Sally Nasser. Because our goal is to observe wildlife on our properties, we set our cameras to be motion-sensored, taking 20-second videos so we can identify species. These cameras come equipped with night visionthat allows us to observe nocturnal creatures like raccoons and owls who use our property but could otherwise be missed through other survey methods.

We continually rotate cameras to capture the diversity at the Shine Preserve. Picking the location of each is crucial. Our stewardship team scouts out locations that offer various angles and habitats to capture a wide range of animals. Creativity and experimentation have led to many interesting placements—from the “Squirrel Log Cam” to the “Opossum Crossing Cam” and even the famous “Beanblossom Bottoms Beaver Dam Cam.” Consideration of the surroundings plus the height and angle of the camera on the tree is important, as it can impact the type of wildlife captured.

Since our cameras are motion-sensored, attention to vegetation and water movement in front of the camera is essential. Through trial and error, we realized wind and sun glare can trigger the cameras to take videos of nothing while using up storage space. Other factors like flooding and theft have also impacted project progress.

Managing & Reviewing Footage

Storage space is another challenge. Footage is captured via SD cards, with some cameras capturing over 300 videos in just a few weeks. Limited card space requires cameras to be checked and SD cards replaced semi-regularly. This can be a challenge during the busy field season, as the stewardship team manages over 11,000 acres across southern Indiana.

It is thanks to the help of staff and many volunteers that Sycamore is able to gather important information through these wildlife videos. Each video is reviewed, with species, location, and behaviors documented in a spreadsheet to track species presence. So far, we have recorded over 70 different species, which has helped us better understand biodiversity and tailor habitat restoration projects accordingly.

While there is a lot of great content, we narrow down the videos by saving and labeling those with any new species, interesting behaviors, changing landscapes (such as beaver dam development), or humorous moments. Even then, we continue to get new and better footage that requires constant organization and refinement.

Once an SD card is fully reviewed, all the videos are deleted so the card can be reused when the team checks the cameras again. And so the cycle continues—but that is not the end of the road.

Sharing the Findings

The saved videos are often reviewed and inspire ideas for educational content. The partnership between stewardship and communication staff aids in developing ideas for videos.

With a concept in mind, videos are compiled using iMovie and Adobe Premiere software to tell a story about the species or habitat highlighted in each video. Descriptive captions and species labels help aid viewer understanding in a fun, visually appealing way.

The ultimate goal is to show these incredible creatures and connect with them in ways that most people do not have the chance to.

Future of the Wildlife Camera Project

While this project has had its fair share of challenges (Beanblossom Creek rose so high in 2022 that it destroyed many of our cameras!), the results have exceeded expectations.

With the help of many people, this project has been able to reach millions of viewers. Since the first installations at the Shine Preserve in 2021, cameras have been added to more Sycamore properties.

With 15 operating cameras, we aim to use them in other restoration projects, including monitoring threatened and endangered species as part of our new cypress firefly and Kirtland’s snake project funded by the Indianapolis Zoological Society.

We will continue using these cameras to better understand and protect the land we manage while offering the public a chance to learn more about wildlife, drawing everyone in to see and connect with the beauty of nature—both near and far.

TO SEE WILDLIFE CAMERA FOOTAGE FROM THE PROJECT, VISIT sycamorelandtrust.org/wildlife OR youtube.com/sycamorelandtrust

This article is from the Winter-Spring 2024 issue of The Twig, “The Science Issue.” Read the issue at sycamorelandtrust.org/twig.