The goal of NC Candid Critters is to collect wildlife data useful for management and conservation questions in partnership with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission. The NC Candid Critters team knows that your time is valuable and so we are offering a new program where you run the camera and we process the photos. Here are some specifics of the NC Candid Critters Project and this new program:
What is North Carolina’s Candid Critters?
The NC Candid Critters project is working with citizen science volunteers of all ages and backgrounds to set camera traps (motion and heat sensitive trail cameras) around the state to help us learn about our wildlife. Citizen scientists get to explore the outdoors and learn about the critters living in their community, while helping us gain information that can be used for conservation and management purposes.
What scientific questions are we trying to answer?
- Is the deer population in NC increasing, decreasing, or staying the same?
- Where are coyotes and how abundant are they in NC?
- Where are other species of concern in NC? Including bear, elk, weasels, fox squirrels, red squirrels, armadillos, woodrats, feral pigs, chipmunks, and skunks.
How will cameras be set?
Cameras are set out for 3-week periods. It is very important to NOT use bait for these deployments and to place the cameras randomly, without paying attention to animal trails. We ask that cameras be set at knee height which may be a bit lower than experienced camera trappers are used to. The purpose of this height is to capture small and large animals alike! You will be asked to take a short (15min) online training to review the specifics of how to set cameras for this project.
How will pictures be sent to NCCC staff?
There are three options for sending your pictures to NCCC Staff and you can choose which works best for you! Either send us an SD card (we can provide you with some) through the US mail, upload the photos to a file sharing service like Dropbox or Google Drive, or use our customized software to tag photos and upload them to our repository.
How will this project benefit me?
Besides contributing to our knowledge of wildlife around the State, you will be able to use our online analysis tools to view the data in your county and other NC counties to see how the wildlife compares. You will get full access to the data we collect and can ask and answer your own questions! After your data is processed, you will receive directions on how to use the online data analysis tools. You can also monitor live updates on several NC species by visiting our homepage at NCCandidCritters.org.
How can I sign up?
Signup is easy! Just follow the appropriate link below and fill out the form.
To borrow a camera from a local library: https://goo.gl/forms/tcD8OX2FdWqY1grB3
To use your own camera: https://goo.gl/forms/z9FNQguy2kVkoOX92