Have you ever been in a forest or meadow, heard rustling in the grass or seen movement in the leaves, and wondered “What is it?” We see and hear only a fraction of the animals in the wild. Alberta Parks is pursuing new ways of seeing and hearing so we can understand better "Who lives here?"
Observing Nature Unseen
- Our program has served as a hidden observer in Kananaskis Country and the Bow Valley for over 15 years, shedding light on the often unseen side of wildlife.
- We're using innovative technologies such as remote wildlife cameras, autonomous recording units (microphones), and trail counters to monitor wildlife throughout the region.
- Operating day and night, these devices unveil the mysteries of our local biodiversity.
Facilitating Conservation
- By monitoring wildlife, we gain essential insights to help inform conservation measures which safeguard the health of these mountain ecosystems.
- Better understanding the dynamics of wildlife within these environments, we can contribute to the preservation of biodiversity and habitat sustainability.
Fostering Human-Wildlife Coexistence
- By knowing where wildlife is, we can foster harmonious coexistence in the Bow Valley.
- Identifying key interaction areas helps improve strategies to minimize human-wildlife conflicts in areas with lots of people.
- Coexisting with wildlife not only preserves the natural beauty of our surroundings but also ensures human safety when recreating in these landscapes.
Wildlife Cameras
- These cameras are triggered by motion, capturing images of animals from small mice and voles, to bears and large ungulates like moose.
- The images are high quality. They enable us to get scientific information such as number of each species in relation to time of day, time of year, presence of other species, weather events, etc.
Autonomous Recording Units
- Traditionally, in order to document birds, people would have to physically listen or look for birds in an area.
- Now, with the use of automatic microphones a person doesn’t have to specifically be there, allowing us to monitoring no matter the time and without disturbing the birds.
- We simply download the sound files and then generate a list of what was calling or singing and when. We no longer need to worry about what we might have missed!
Check out some of the incredible photos and videos captured by our remote cameras. But remember, they're not just taking pretty pictures; they're keeping tabs on animal populations and behaviors.
