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Adjacent to the University of Rhode Island's main campus, North Woods encompasses 225 acres of forest, wetlands, and headwater streams. Thanks to camera trapping efforts from the Department of Natural Resources Science, images of the animals that call the area home are part of a national data set that informs a variety of research projects.

Coordinated by the Smithsonian since 2019, Snapshot USA is a multi-contributor, long-term effort to sample mammal populations. The project, which relies on researchers in all 50 states to collect data via camera traps, is unique in its scope. "Normally with camera trap surveys, everyone has different methods and protocols," says Amy Mayer, research associate with the department. "With Snapshot USA, everyone has to follow the same protocols in the same time period, so there's one big standardized data set so we can look at trends across the country in a more streamlined way."

Camera trapping is particularly rewarding because of the amount of data you gather for a relatively low-effort activity, Mayer notes. The cameras are continually running and motion activated. "Anytime an animal walks by, you're getting a snapshot of it in its surroundings. You can use the timestamp and the location information to understand the vegetation and habitat the animal uses and when it is active," she says. "You can study many different species at the same time."

At URI, 15 cameras are placed in a grid throughout North Woods and run from September through October. About two feet off the ground, the battery-powered cameras capture a representative area, including wetlands and drier spots.

Researchers at the Smithsonian utilize the data from Snapshot USA to study a variety of research questions, including how wildlife communities across the country change in relation to ecological communities, tying vegetative zones to what animals are there. "Having these long-term studies are really important, especially now with climate change," Mayer says, noting the importance of observing changes and adaptations from year to year.

"They want us involved in every step of the process," Mayer says of Snapshot USA. "We collect the data, process the imagery, and tag all the images with the correct species." While an artificial intelligence component helps with animal identification, human researchers verify accuracy and make corrections as needed.

Mayer has worked with Laken Ganoe, a postdoctoral researcher in biological and environmental science, for the past two years. URI undergraduate and graduate students often participate in data collection and identification, as well. "All collaborators get to be listed as co-authors on the data that gets published. We've had students listed as authors on published papers," Mayer says.

One such student, Jessie Adley '23, worked on the project for three seasons as an undergraduate student studying conservation biology and was listed as a co-author on three published data papers in Ecology, the from May 2024. "It's a really cool opportunity for students," Mayer adds.

North Woods has been a contributing location to Snapshot USA from its inception, facilitated by Brian Gerber, associate professor of natural resources science at the time who now works for the U.S. Geological Survey at Colorado State University, and now by Kathleen Carroll, assistant professor in the department.

URI researchers are the only participants from Rhode Island. Two years ago, a second location in Arcadia was added. Mayer notes that visitors to the areas have been respectful about not interfering with the cameras鈥攁 crucial component in maintaining the integrity of the research. Snapshot USA's data is freely available to the public to download and use via the site.