Animals and humans are part of a new reality show underway at Lakeland College in Vermilion, Alta.
They are being be captured on surveillance cameras mounted throughout Vermilion Provincial Park, which borders the eastern Alberta town.
Darcey Shyry, an instructor in wildlife and fisheries conservation at the college, said students will collect images from the four cameras and compile data identifying the species found at these sites, as well as their numbers and frequency. Human activity will also be recorded, he said.
“It’s a real useful tool,” said Shyry, noting how it will allow the park to classify park zones as low, medium and high traffic areas for wildlife and humans.
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It will also help students learn how land use affects wildlife and document a diversity that includes moose, deer and fox.
As well, Shyry said the cameras will show animal behaviour such as deer moving closer to human areas at birthing time because their prey generally will not follow them there.
Two motion-activated cameras are mounted in cross-country ski trail areas, while the others are in more remote areas of the park, which features a diverse mix of grasslands, wetlands and forest. The cameras capture high-resolution colour shots during the day and infrared ones at night, noting the time the images were recorded.
Shyry said students will receive hands-on experience.
The wildlife and fisheries conservation students will learn a modern way to assess wildlife abundance and practice identification skills, while the conservation and restoration ecology students will learn how to assess wildlife habitat quality.
The park benefits from the students’ reports on wildlife and human use in the park, all of which can be used in management decisions.
As well, Shyry said the community benefits because the cameras can confirm sightings of dangerous animals such as cougars. To date none have been caught on camera.
