Fieldwork for Cats and Birds research projects has started!
June 2020:
Two Cats and Birds research projects initiated by the Stewardship Centre for BC in collaboration with Environment and Climate Change Canada, Birds Canada, University of British Columbia, University of Guelph, Liber Ero Fellowship Program and Vancouver Bird Advisory Committee have officially started!
Our enthusiastic and dedicated researchers Harold Eyster and Jaylen Bastos began fieldwork for their Greater Vancouver Urban Landbird Count and Vancouver Cat Count projects.
Notes from the field:
Greater Vancouver Urban Landbird Count
Fieldwork for Harold’s bird counts starts in the early mornings when birds are most active. On June 1, Harold had his first survey starting at 4:40 am!
Where did it all start?
23 years ago, then-UBC Masters student Stephanie Melles stood in this location in Vancouver and counted the birds she saw. Now, all these years later, Harold Eyster is going back to those same locations and replicating her study.
Harold hopes to understand how bird diversity has changed across the city, and what we might be able to do to make Vancouver more hospitable to our feathered friends!
Vancouver Cat Count
Before going out in the field and starting to collect data on cat populations in Vancouver, Jaylen had to assemble and program 36 trail cameras, contact volunteer homeowners, renters, realtors, park managers, local businesses and city councillors to finalize the first set of locations where cameras will be placed.
“While trying to secure the necessary distribution of camera sites across Vancouver, I have received concerns from urban residents and businesses about privacy and use of captured images. People had concerns about individual identifiable features and images of children, concern for management and storage of data, and for the type of data being recorded (video vs. photo).” -Jaylen Bastos
These concerns are taken seriously and will be addressed by installing cameras low to the ground and facing downward as well as ensuring proper data management as outlined in our Privacy Management Protocols.
By addressing these concerns immediately, Jaylen has found more individuals have been willing to participate in the study.
Jaylen is planning to install the first set of cameras starting on June 22. In the meanwhile, he has been able to perform some mock installments for residents who wanted a better understanding of the installation process.
Read more about Jaylen’s work and notes on camera installation on the WildCAM blog!
Stay Connected!
More information about these projects is on our Cats and Birds Research Projects page.
Follow our Facebook Cats and Birds Page and Twitter for research updates and findings.
