February 3, 2021 (Telluride, CO):
Project Manager Garrett Smith of Telluride Institute setting up one of the cameras.
Mountain Studies Institute (MSI), Sheep Mountain Alliance (SMA), and Telluride Institute’s Watershed Education Program (WEP) have started a citizen science wildlife monitoring program on the Telluride Valley Floor with permission from the Town of Telluride Open Space Commission.
A total of 10 wildlife cameras were placed in five different zones along the Telluride Valley Floor. These infrared cameras capture images of all wildlife that passes through the trigger zone. To protect the privacy of recreational users, cameras will not be placed in proximity to trails. Cameras selected for the project do not utilize flashes for nighttime detections and will be placed out of the line of sight from recreation trails. Data is collected every two months and sorted by SMA and MSI.
One of 10 wildlife monitoring cameras strategically placed on the Telluride Valley Floor.
SMA and WEP have partnered with the Telluride 7th grade class to provide experiential education centered around the Valley Floor and our monitoring project. Students learn about wildlife movements in Telluride, issues facing wildlife in our region, the essentials of wildlife conservation, and how citizen science engages our greater community.
Our objectives are to engage and educate citizens about wildlife species and monitoring, to record wildlife presence on the Telluride Valley Floor through camera monitoring, and to facilitate the exchange of information about wildlife, including data from monitoring efforts, between public agencies, researchers, and interested individuals.
We are actively looking for motivated volunteers to adopt a wildlife camera, attend a training session, and collect data from the cameras throughout the year. Currently, four cameras are for the use of the Telluride school district and Telluride Mountain School.
Contact michelle@mountainstudies.org,
garrett@tellurideinstitute.org , or vista@sheepmountainalliance.org if you are interested in adopting a wildlife camera.
