iSeeMammals collects data on the presence and absence of wildlife from observations, hikes, and fixed/trail cameras to study wildlife populations.
Become an iSeeMammals citizen scientist and be a part of wildlife research!
Citizen scientists can help by collecting data in areas that researchers cannot reach. More than 50% of New York is privately owned land -- land that is more accessible to citizen scientists than it is to researchers!
Why black bears in New York?
Bears are iconic and recognizable. Many enjoy seeing wild bears. As bear populations in New York rebound from habitat loss and historical unregulated hunting, bear population levels need to be safe for both wildlife and people.
To manage the bear population, wildlife researchers and managers need data on their population size, occupancy, and distribution across the state. Black bears are the target species for the pilot project for iSeeMammals.
People Behind The Scenes
Cat Sun is a graduate student in the Department of Natural Resources at Cornell University. iSeeMammals is part of her PhD research studying the growth of black bear populations in New York and the northeast US.This work is a collaboration between the New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Cornell University, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.