Urban wildlife monitoring at TU Dublin campuses
TU Dublin has been offered an opportunity to be involved in a research project to monitor wildlife on campus. TU Dublin Sustainability is seeking staff and students to consider their involvement in participating in this exciting project.
The Urban Wildlife Information Network (UWIN) (in collaboration with Green-Campus from An Taisce), are a network of researchers in cities worldwide who are working together to collect data related to urban wildlife and want to work with collaborators from local councils, community groups, and universities to create a Dublin wildlife monitoring site.
This site will contribute to research and wildlife management in Ireland and globally and will provide opportunities for local environmental education. UWIN uses motion-sensitive trail cameras to survey wildlife in greenspaces, including parks, schools and university campuses, golf courses, gardens, and other urban vegetated areas. The photographs collected in Dublin will help to understand where different wildlife species occur in the Dublin area and how we can make Dublin and other cities better places for people and wildlife.
TU Dublin collaborators will work with the project research team to install camera traps in a vegetated area on your local campus. Cameras are installed for 30 days during four months of the year (January, April, July, and October). Camera trapping will begin in July of this year, but can be joined during later seasons.
Participants are trained to install and maintain the camera traps themselves and there are limited set of cameras and locks to protect them available on loan. Participants will not be responsible for any damage or theft to cameras loaned to them.
For teaching staff who are interested in becoming involved, and if this is something that you want to factor into teaching, educational resources are available to help students learn from camera trapping.
If you are interested in becoming involved email sustainability@tudublin.ie.