Wildlife Camera Project

The Wildlife Camera Project provides a window on animal activities in local oak woodlands. Though we sometimes see birds, even a bald eagle, most of the images are of mammals going about their lives, often at night, in search of food, water, a mate or a place to shelter. The project began at the Santa Margarita Ranch LATO Trail in 2011 as a Cal Poly Senior Project for Christina McAdams, 2012 B.S. Environmental Management and Protection. Christina worked with advisor Cal Poly Biological Sciences Professor John Perrine, PhD, to develop the project with these goals in mind:

1. Stimulate public interest in learning about local wildlife and habitat conservation issues
2. Help our community better understand how to live in harmony with our wild neighbors
3. Help students understand how scientists use wildlife cameras as an investigative tool
4. Give students the opportunity to work with and learn from university field biology students managing and interpreting WCP data

Over the past decade, the project has expanded to include oak woodland sites throughout San Luis Obispo County and is powered by teams of dedicated, trained volunteers.