Effective Camera Trapping: A Learner's Story
Blog by Stephen Hinde, Community Manager for Ufi VocTech Trust
'Effective Camera Trapping' is a course being delivered by Ambios who provide nature conservation training across the UK. Ambios were awarded funding as part of Ufi's VocTech Seed 2019 funding call so they could develop a training course that could be delivered remotely.
The Effective Camera Trapping course is designed for people who are interested in conservation to learn and develop their practical field skills to enhance their employability and continued professional development.
This course is very hands-on and participants get to learn using physical technology - wildlife cameras. Learners are sent the equipment they need to complete the course and, through a series of weekly tasks, develop their camera trapping skills.
One student, Ana Pino-Blanco, has been sharing her findings and newly acquired knowledge on social media with videos from the various locations that her camera has been set up.
After seeing Ana sharing the journey a learner takes during the Effective Camera Trapping course we reached out for a short Q&A...
What was it about the Effective Camera Trapping course that caught your attention?
I work as a junior ecologist and had seen the cameras before, but this was an opportunity to learn how to set up the cameras in the most effective way including how to place it and finding the best locations.
How familiar were you with the equipment before the course and how has this changed since taking part in the course?
I had seen other people setting up cameras and had only done it with pre-set equipment. I now feel more confident and will be able to use the resources and tricks I've learnt from this course.
How did the course's structure fit in and around your lifestyle?
The meetings are done after work hours which means I can come back from work, connect to the calls, and then even go out after to do bat surveys! We have a Thursday call where we talk about the tasks for the coming weekend, and then on Monday we retrieve new data from the cameras and discuss as a group.
What opportunities could taking part in this course open up for you in the future?
This course gives me opportunity to improve my knowledge and skills at tracking, know more about animal trails, and how to prove a certain animal's presence. The skills i'm developing are useful for me to apply in my job because using the camera more effectively can reduce the time and effort required for surveys.
Ufi VocTech Trust would like to thank Ana for taking the time to answer our questions.
