Where the wild things are
TRAIL CAMERA PROJECT CAN SHED LIGHT ON URBAN WILDLIFE
Anew project is underway to learn about urban wildlife in Lethbridge and residents’ attitudes toward wilderness in their own backyards. University of Lethbridge graduate student Leila Armstrong has launched the Backyard Wilderness Trail Cam Project as part of a brand new interdisciplinary program called Cultural, Social and Political Thought.
Armstrong is partnering with residents who volunteer their properties as sites to place motion triggered trail cameras with the hopes of finding out more about the nocturnal critters exploring the neighbourhoods of Lethbridge.
“What I’m interested in is getting peoples’ attitudes towards urban wildlife,” she said.
“Whether or not they can conceive of their own backyard as being an urban wilderness.”
The cameras have been out since February and Armstrong is hoping to get as many property owners involved as she can. The project’s data collection phase is expected to run until at least next winter.
While the city has seen it’s fair share of unusual wildlife sightings in recent years — most notably a wolverine that was spotted in RiverStone in 2015 — the project is focusing on the area’s more typical wildlife.
“I’m specifically interested in synanthropes, which are animals that thrive in close proximity to humans,” she said, listing animals such as coyotes, skunks or racoons.
“If they’re able to adapt to human encroachment maybe they have something to teach us.”
While there have been a number of participants so far on the southside and westside, there is still a need for northside property owners to be involved. She also has an interest in the city’s industrial areas.
While the initial feedback has shown very positive attitudes regarding urban wildlife — including people who said they had no objections to skunks roaming their backyard — Armstrong is hoping to have residents involved who share both positive and negative perspectives.
“The more voices that are present, the more that we can learn,” she said.
Louise Barrett, a psychology department faculty member supervising Armstrong’s project, said there may be positive solutions in any negative feedback they receive.
“There might be simple solutions,” she said.
“The knowledge already sits out there. We’re not here to tell people what to do. We’re trying to find the knowledge and spread it around.”
Barrett said there is value in connecting the university and the community through participation in the project, but sees it also addressing some bigger issues.
“What does it mean to be human?” she asked. “What is our place in nature? How do we negotiate the fact that we live different from other animals but we’re still an animal at the same time?”
The concern is that many people see themselves outside of the natural world instead of being part of it.
“I’m hoping that by getting people involved in the project they will start to see themselves as invested in nature and invested in preserving the biodiversity that surrounds us,” said Armstrong.
Project participants have trail cameras placed on their property for a period of one to two weeks. Identity and specific property locations remain anonymous and any images of people or domestic animals are deleted upon collection of the cameras.
Residents who are interested in taking part can find information at backyardwilderness.info or email backyardwilderness@shaw.ca
Follow @IMartensHerald on Twitter