The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is marking a decade of its Snapshot Wisconsin program, which has now amassed 100 million photos. This community-based science initiative uses volunteer-managed trail cameras to track wildlife across the state. People can help identify species in these images through the Zooniverse platform, aiding the DNR in monitoring wildlife and making informed management decisions.
Snapshot Wisconsin began as a DNR effort to engage community members in wildlife observation. Initially funded by a NASA grant awarded to the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2013, it was launched by the DNR in 2015. The project started with several hundred cameras placed in elk reintroduction areas and expanded to county-wide pilots in Sawyer and Iowa counties.
Today, Snapshot operates statewide with over 2,000 active cameras, contributing data to more than 20 scientific publications. It has engaged 25,000 volunteers on Zooniverse and collected 100 million photos, significantly impacting wildlife management.
Over the years, Snapshot has developed various public resources:
– The Snapshot Data Dashboard provides interactive access to trail camera data for 22 species.
– The Snapshot Wisconsin Photo Library offers an updated collection of notable images.
– “Snapshot in the Classroom” supplies K-12 lesson plans and activities focused on wildlife.
To celebrate these milestones, the team curated an interactive photo collection showcasing one image from each county’s trail camera.
