Long-term monitoring grid

Our grid was established in 2014, and spans the entire research forest, in addition to areas north and west of the research forest.

The grid consists of 72 sites, each site has 2 cameras, one acoustic recording unit (ARU), and two ways to collect hair samples. These sites allow us to track wildlife habitat use, abundance, and behavior over time.

Data was collected from this grid in 2015, 2016, 2020, 2021, and 2022. We began the most recent round of data collection, starting last winter in 2025. This round includes 35 new sites in more recently logged areas.

In fall of 2024 we added a grid of 78 temperature loggers to our land base to record temperature and relative humidity every 30 minutes. We chose a variety of sites based on slope, aspect, and cover types from our LiDAR inventory.

Map showing camera locations across a study area in British Columbia, Canada, with major water bodies marked in blue and camera grid outlined in yellow. Inset map highlights the study area within British Columbia.
Snow-covered forest trail with measurements and equipment for wildlife research. The setup includes a remote camera mounted on a tree, a running pole with a hair snare, and a hair snare box. The distance between the camera and the hair snare box is approximately 2.5 to 3 meters, with the camera about 1 meter from the tree. The hair snare is hung over a branch more than 60 centimeters above the ground, which is greater than 60 centimeters, and the hair snare box is positioned 46 centimeters above the ground.

Collaborators

  • A young man wearing a gray cap and a green jacket, smiling outdoors with trees in the background.

    Dexter Hodder

    JPRF

  • Man with beard wearing a cap and backpack on a boat under a partly cloudy blue sky

    Dr. Shannon Crowley

    JPRF

  • A woman smiling and laughing outdoors in a snowy forest, wearing a blue jacket and a multi-colored hat with a brim.

    Lauren Wheelhouse

    JPRF

We sift through thousands of videos, and we find some pretty neat things! Here are some examples. For more videos, follow us on Instagram!

A person with glasses and plaid shirt cutting a tree branch with a hand saw in a forested area, with a yellow utility knife resting on the ground nearby.
A woman in a gray long-sleeve shirt and black pants, wearing dark boots, sitting on the ground in a densely wooded area with green leafy plants and small trees, examining a rectangular device or equipment.
Hiker walking through snow in a forest with a dog in the background.

Funding provided by

  • Logo of Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation featuring stylized green grass and waves in a blue circle.

  • Logo of the John Prince Research Forest with a mountain, a green pine tree, a bear, and a bird, encircled by the name and a ring of axes.

  • A logo with three pine trees above the acronym 'FESBC' inside a shield shape.

  • Logo for Project Learning Tree Canada featuring a stylized green tree and the text 'Project Learning Tree Canada' in black and green.

  • Eco Canada logo with a stylized green maple leaf above the words "eco canada" in green text.