After two years of technical issues and Covid restrictions, we are beyond excited to announce that 30 cameras have finally been deployed with our team of Citizen Scientists. The snap Victorian lockdown gave us a bit of a scare just the day after we started… but we were luckily able to resume the installations a few days after!

The cameras will collecting data around Ballarat, Daylesford, Castlemaine and Gisborne. They are  scheduled to gather data until next Spring. The data will be used for an ecological study within a fire-prone environment, and for the training of an algorithm that will automatically identify what is captured on the footage. The end goal would be to develop a camera trap technology to reliably survey smaller fauna, day and night – with a focus on “cold-blooded” animals like reptiles and amphibians (you can find out more information by clicking here). 

A huge thank you to some citizen scientists that have provided invaluable help for the project to finally happen. A good reminder that “citizen” scientists can also be amazing scientists, period!