The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) manages wildlife in partnership with individuals and organizations. The first step in managing a wildlife population is to get an idea of how many individuals are present and where these individuals are. 

 

Snapshot Wisconsin is a statewide wildlife monitoring program that relies on volunteers to host trail cameras throughout the year. Trail cameras are mounted to trees or posts and take photos when triggered by the movement and heat of a passing animal. Once the photos are uploaded and classified by the Zooniverse community, they become data that can be used to understand patterns of animal occurrence.

 

A single trail camera can take thousands of photographs each month. Zooniverse users help to make all these photos meaningful by classifying the type and number of animals in each. Because we know where and when these photos were taken, we can create maps for both common and rare species across the state and visualize how animal populations change through time.

 

From black bears to badgers, see what critters you can spot roaming the Wisconsin landscape!