Snapshot Newsletter July 2026
With summer in full swing, we all want to be out there enjoying Wisconsin’s Great Outdoors – but we promise it’s worth spending a little time in front of a screen to catch up on the latest happenings in this Snapshot Wisconsin newsletter!
Read on to learn about a recent Snapshot-led field trip in Milwaukee County and some exciting news about new cameras for the volunteer-managed trail camera network. We also take you behind the scenes to discover what happens when a Snapshot camera captures a rare or unexpected species and introduce you to a dedicated volunteer whose enthusiasm for the project survived a tornado!
And while you're catching up on all things Snapshot, be sure to check out this recent Forbes feature that took a deep dive into how the project has evolved and the positive impacts it's having on wildlife management, science education and community engagement statewide and beyond!
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Snapshot Staff Leads Forest Exploration Field Trip in Milwaukee County
The 67-acre Forest Exploration Center, right in the middle of metro Milwaukee's hustle and bustle, was the perfect setting for a recent event highlighting Snapshot Wisconsin's important contributions to monitoring urban wildlife throughout the state.
The Snapshot Team recently received a shipment of new trail cameras from the Wisconsin-based company Yellowstone, which will be distributed to new volunteer trail camera hosts and those who need replacement gear. Learn more about the new cameras, and how to sign up to host one!
Cougars and Martens and Moose, Oh My! What Happens When Snapshot Cameras Spot A Rare Species
Over the past 11 years, Snapshot Wisconsin trail cameras have captured millions of white-tailed deer plus plenty of foxes, bobcats, turkeys, raccoons and more. But sometimes the statewide network records a much rarer species, such as a marten or cougar. Learn what happens behind the scenes when unexpected animals pop up on the camera.
When a tornado churned through Marinette County a few years ago, it destroyed many of the trees on Tim's property, and even his Snapshot trail camera. But his enthusiasm for the Snapshot project, and for contributing to our understanding of Wisconsin wildlife, remained undaunted.
Snapshot Staff Leads Forest Exploration Field Trip in Milwaukee County
Hi! I’m Snapshot Wisconsin Volunteer Coordinator Demetra Toniolo, and on a sunny Saturday in late May, I led a “Snapshots of Urban Wildlife” field trip at the Forest Exploration Center in Wauwatosa, Milwaukee County. Snapshot Operations Manager Mackenzie Glasford and DNR Natural Resource Educator Jessica Knackert also joined the outing, which was organized in partnership with the Natural Resource Foundation (NRF). The field trip was a roughly mile-long guided walk to learn about Snapshot Wisconsin and how the project supports wildlife research.
The nonprofit Forest Exploration Center (FEC) is located within a 67-acre hardwood forest that’s one of the last remaining examples of forest lands that once covered southeastern Wisconsin. The state property, managed by the Division of Forestry in partnership with FEC volunteers, hosts two Snapshot Wisconsin trail cameras.
Under a canopy of maple, oak and basswood trees, attendees learned the history and goals of the Snapshot Wisconsin project, all the ways the public can get involved and how data from the volunteer-managed trail camera network supports research. Discussion also focused on urban wildlife, including species common in urban settings and their interactions with humans.
Participants got to check out some recent FEC-hosted trail camera photos of white-tailed deer, which are the most frequent species photographed by Snapshot Wisconsin’s statewide network of trail cameras. The images led to a discussion of the roughly 1,200 Milwaukee County deer; Snapshot Wisconsin images are one piece of the data used to estimate populations there and across the state. The trail camera network’s images help determine, for example, estimated numbers of fawns per doe, which is important for understanding overall population structure. All of this information, made possible by the Snapshot network, supports management decision-making.
In addition to deer, birds were also a hot topic on the hike! Using their own binoculars or pairs provided by DNR staff, attendees spotted several American robins (Wisconsin’s state bird) and even a Baltimore oriole while eastern wood peewees sang in the trees.
Urban environments, including Milwaukee, can be important stopover sites for many migratory birds. The county’s proximity to Lake Michigan and many miles of rivers and streams also attract diverse bird species that one might not associate with a large metropolitan area; bald eagles, snowy owls and sandhill cranes have all been recorded in the county. With its peaceful setting and accessible hiking trail, the FEC is an excellent place to bird watch: 158 bird species have been documented there!
Field trip bird talk included the most common bird species seen by Snapshot trail cameras: wild turkeys. Participants were able to handle turkey feathers and learn about ways to ensure the birds stay wild, even in urban settings. Not feeding them, cleaning up birdseed around feeders and installing fencing around gardens are all ways to coexist with wild turkeys.
The hike wrapped up on a spur trail where participants explored interpretive panels showcasing art inspired by Snapshot Wisconsin trail camera photos. The signage along the spur trail rotates throughout the year and has included story walks, landscape paintings and ecological research to, according to the FEC website, “celebrate Wisconsin’s rich forest heritage and our human connection to the land.”
Participants had a wonderful morning exploring the beauty of an urban natural area and discovering wildlife through the lens of a trail camera. Along with the entire Snapshot Wisconsin team, I’m grateful for opportunities to share information about the wildlife monitoring project with a wider audience, and for our partnerships with the FEC and NRF, a nonprofit conservation organization.
The NRF, founded in 1986, is dedicated to protecting Wisconsin’s lands, waters and wildlife by providing strategic funding, leading partnerships and connecting all people with nature. The foundation supports Snapshot Wisconsin through donations and merchandise sales. NRF’s unique field trips throughout Wisconsin generally run from April through October; registration is open to NRF members. For more information, visit the NRF’s Field Trips hub.
–Demetra Toniolo
Check Out Our New Cameras!
Over a decade has passed since the Snapshot Wisconsin trail camera project originated, and it’s no surprise that trail camera technology has advanced quite a bit since then. Here at Snapshot, we hope to utilize this advancement in technology to not only provide high-quality data for wildlife monitoring, but to also improve the volunteer experience for the thousands of Snapshot Wisconsin trail camera hosts across the state. With that, we are excited to announce that through a competitive bid process, we have secured a contract with a new camera vendor, Yellowstone!
Yellowstone is a family-owned trail camera company located in Sturgeon Bay. This company has been working closely with the Snapshot team to develop the perfect firmware, or camera specifications, that will be applied to their Y2 model of trail camera. As with previous models of trail cameras used for the Snapshot Wisconsin project, specific firmware is used to meet the project’s needs.
We are looking forward to providing this new trail camera to incoming Snapshot Wisconsin volunteers and any current volunteers who have malfunctioning equipment that requires replacement. Some new features that we are looking forward to include rechargeable battery packs instead of individual batteries. This will make camera checks much easier for our volunteers, especially during the colder months of the year! These cameras will also automatically assign the date and time, as well as GPS coordinates, which will help improve time and location accuracy for data collection purposes.
If you are not already hosting a trail camera with Snapshot Wisconsin, check out our project requirements and apply on our application page. We have had a shortage of trail cameras while awaiting this new shipment, so it may take some time for us to process and accept new applications. In the meantime, we encourage you check out the Snapshot Wisconsin Zooniverse page. The project’s trail camera photos are sent to this online crowdsourcing site, where anyone can view images and help identify the wildlife in them!
–Mackenzie Glasford
Cougars and Martens and Moose, Oh My! What Happens When Snapshot Cameras Spot a Rare Species
The animal stands out against the white backdrop of a snowy Wisconsin winter, ears perked and body upright as if it has caught a noteworthy scent on the chilly air. In a sequence of Snapshot Wisconsin trail camera images from Bayfield County, the animal then drops down to all fours and disappears deeper into the forest, leaving excitement – and paperwork – in its wake.
“It was the first marten I saw [in a Snapshot Wisconsin image], and it was a really good marten photo,” says Liv Gripko, the project specialist who handles rare species observations for the trail camera network. The image, captured a few years back, remains her favorite rare species photo.
The little marten in the snow is one of around 50 Snapshot images over the past decade of rare wildlife species in Wisconsin. While a few remain unverified because they don’t show enough of the animal, others have been used to confirm various protected or unexpected species in our state.
In fact, while Snapshot Wisconsin trail camera images are important for statewide research on common species, including bears, white-tailed deer and wild turkeys, they are critical for alerting the DNR to the presence of rare species. Without them, the DNR would have to rely on verifiable anecdotal reports from the public or researchers stumbling on signs of the animal by chance, such as spotting cougar tracks in the snow while doing a wolf survey.
David MacFarland, wildlife research team leader for the Office of Applied Science (OAS), which includes Snapshot, likens the project’s extensive, statewide trail camera network to “having 2,000 eyes on the landscape,” which greatly increases the chance of detecting a rare species.
The Snapshot network is even helpful when it doesn’t see something. The fact that lynx have never been spotted by Snapshot cameras has been an important factor in designating the feline as not present in Wisconsin, which has policy implications for management of another species – but we’ll get to that shortly.
First, let’s look at what happens when a Snapshot camera does capture a potential rare animal, such as a moose or marten. The observation, by trail camera host, Zooniverse classifier or Snapshot staff member, kicks off a process to verify the detection and notify relevant parties within the DNR and greater conservation community.
When a potential rare species detection pops up, the Snapshot team springs into action. “First, we discuss it as a team,” says Gripko. “It’s exciting, but you’re also asking, ‘Am I seeing what I think I’m seeing?’”
If everyone feels the animal captured is likely a rare species, Gripko fills out a rare species observation form online and shares the images with a subject expert in Natural Heritage Conservation (NHC) or Wildlife Management, depending on the species. Different rare species have different notification paths because the animals have different state and federal designations.
For example, genetic evidence preserved in scat and hair snags from some of the cougars previously detected in Wisconsin has revealed they were lone dispersing males, animals just passing through, so the species is considered transient and is not formally monitored. If a cougar turns up on a Snapshot trail camera photo, Wildlife Management is informed so they stay up to date on patterns of movement in the species.
Moose are another example of a species seen on Snapshot cameras but not actively monitored. “There are moose in the state, but there’s no great evidence they’re dropping calves,” says Rich Staffen, a NHC terrestrial zoologist. Without proof of a breeding population within state lines, it’s possible the animals photographed now and then are, like cougars, just visiting from the U.P. or Minnesota.
Federally endangered whooping cranes are considered a species of concern in Wisconsin, which means that they are particularly vulnerable to disturbance. When they take a Snapshot selfie, Gripko notifies NHC and also the International Crane Foundation, which is based in Baraboo and collaborates with the DNR to monitor and safeguard the birds.
Martens are classified as endangered animals in Wisconsin, so any possible detection of them gets reported to NHC, where Staffen and colleagues confirm the species.
“We take a close look at the photos. For marten, there are several things we look at: the ear size – martens have larger ears than, say, a fisher – and a pale throat patch,” says Staffen. They also consider the size of the animal, as martens are often mistaken for fishers, which are larger, and the reported location. Staffen explains: “We look at where they are expected to be, their documented range. We’d really scrutinize a reported sighting if it was outside that range.”
If confirmed, the rare animal sighting is added to the Natural Heritage Inventory (NHI), which also includes rare plant species observations and even geological features that are vulnerable and require careful conservation. Although the Snapshot team shares specific locations with DNR colleagues, the publicly accessible information is at a county or township level to protect landowner privacy and reduce the risk of attracting inappropriate interest from the curious or overenthusiastic.
Staffen notes that, for any rare species observation, if it’s on private land, the DNR will contact the landowner to obtain permission before adding the event to the NHI. This database plays an important regulatory role in the DNR’s effort to protect Wisconsin’s rarest and most vulnerable species.
When a landowner or developer applies for a permit to alter a landscape in some way, from building to logging to even a prescribed burn, the permitting body will check NHI to determine whether the activity might jeopardize a rare or protected species, natural feature or ecosystem. Evidence of a rare species on the premises does not mean a permit will automatically be denied, but it does provide the DNR an opportunity to work with the permit applicant to minimize negative impacts to sensitive species.
Snapshot images have contributed data to the systems in place to protect and conserve rare species in Wisconsin, but sometimes the lack of a Snapshot image also plays a role in conservation, which brings us back to the lynx.
The lynx is federally listed as threatened in the contiguous United States; while there are small breeding populations in northeastern Minnesota and on Michigan’s Isle Royale, there has been no evidence of a breeding population in Wisconsin for more than a century. However, Wisconsin is home to bobcats, which can be legally hunted and trapped here, and that’s where it gets complicated.
Although smaller, bobcats are sometimes mistaken for lynx (and vice versa). Commonly used methods for hunting and trapping bobcats can and have led to unintentional lynx harvest, according to Katie O’Brien of the Minnesota-Wisconsin Ecological Services field office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).
While there are no federal restrictions on harvesting bobcats, which are state-managed, “In areas where lynx and bobcat overlap, most state agencies implement various measures to reduce the chances of incidental lynx harvest,” O’Brien explained via email.
If lynx were documented in Wisconsin, the DNR would revisit its bobcat management plan and potentially add harvest restrictions to reduce risk to the threatened species. That’s why it’s particularly significant that, with more than 109 million images in its database, including rare species such as marten and the occasional road-tripping cougar, Snapshot Wisconsin has never photographed a lynx.
“Proving a negative is really hard to impossible, but Snapshot generates so much data,” says MacFarland, the OAS wildlife research team leader. “We have a robust monitoring network in place, so we know it works to identify rare species.”
In other words, seeing is believing when it comes to the presence of rare species in our state –and thanks to Snapshot Wisconsin, not seeing is a way of confirming which species aren’t here.
You don’t have to be a Snapshot trail camera host to spot rare Wisconsin wildlife! If you see an unexpected animal out and about, please tell us by completing the online Rare Species Observation Form. You can report rare plants as well!
–Gemma Tarlach
Volunteer Spotlight
When Tim P. put up his first Snapshot Wisconsin trail camera back in 2017, it looked out onto a dense Northwoods forest that probably hadn’t been logged in more than 70 years. Tim, an avid hunter, lives in southeastern Wisconsin but had acquired 40 acres in Marinette County a few years earlier.
“It was really healthy forest. There was nothing on it when I purchased it and I was trying to keep it as natural as possible,” he says.
Then the tornado came. An F1/F2 twister churned a nearly 18-mile path across Marinette County in 2022, destroying thousands of trees on Tim’s land – including the one with his Snapshot camera. The camera was replaced, but the property was changed forever.
“[The tornado] opened things up for different wildlife,” Tim says. “I see a lot more birds now. Before, for example, I hadn’t really seen grouse. Now they seem to be plentiful.”
Tim still spots a range of wildlife on the property, from white-tailed deer to one of his favorite trail camera captures, a black bear with four cubs in tow. He also helps classify Snapshot images on Zooniverse, and appreciates seeing both different wildlife and other environments.
“With classifying photos I get [from my camera], I know my property and what to expect,” he says. “[On Zooniverse] I’m classifying different terrain. … I’ve always wanted more diverse property – I’ve just got forest. I get a little jealous.”
Tim also participates in the new Phenology Project, which will collect data about seasonal changes and how they affect wildlife. Last winter, he set up a project snow stake in front of his camera to measure snow depth and has also installed a temperature sensor that collects data year-round, every 15 minutes.
“I can see the value of the research behind the scenes, putting things together and figuring out how things are changing over time,” he says.
His participation in the Phenology Project is a continuation of what motivated him to volunteer with Snapshot Wisconsin in the first place: An opportunity to share his enthusiasm for Wisconsin wildlife with others and to contribute to research that will help it thrive.
Thanks, Tim, for hosting a trail camera and Phenology Project gear, and for classifying additional images on Zooniverse. Your dedication and enthusiasm make Snapshot Wisconsin possible!
–Gemma Tarlach
If you currently host a Snapshot Wisconsin trail camera, or are part of the Zooniverse community classifying Snapshot images, we’d love to feature you in a future Volunteer Spotlight. Please complete this short online form to let us know you’re interested!