Volunteer of the Month is a new addition to e-newsletter with the goal of highlighting volunteers that go above and beyond with their participation in Snapshot Wisconsin. We will also be sharing this series on our blog and the Wisconsin DNR Facebook page.

August’s Volunteer of the Month goes to Skylar from Marquette County! Skylar has been with Snapshot Wisconsin for over two years, one of his motivations for joining the project was to bridge his interests in nature and technology. As a teacher, he utilizes his Snapshot Wisconsin camera to help connect students with the diverse wildlife residing in their school forest. When asked about his fondest memories with the project, Skylar responded:

 “It was really amazing to see how our photos of a fisher, or fishers, at the school forest contribute to the southward expansion of that species’ known range in our state. That was something that was really exciting to share with the students especially because it showed them clearly why their work on this project matters and how they are contributing to science that has an impact.” 

Thank you, Skylar and the awesome students at High Marq! Thank you to all our trail camera hosts and Zooniverse volunteers for helping us discover our wildlife together. 

If you need a break from the busy-ness of summer or are lounging on the couch in the air conditioning we would appreciate your participation on our Zooniverse site.  Summer is always a slower time for our online volunteers, which is understandable, we want to be outside too!  However, we have over a million photos coming in every month so the need for classifications never ends! Please visit our Zooniverse site and classify a few cute deer, otters or bears today!  

Ask the Researcher is a recurring feature in our newsletter. If you have a question for a DNR Research Scientist or a member of the Snapshot Wisconsin Research Team please email it to DNRSnapshotWisconsin@Wisconsin.gov with the subject line: Ask the Researcher. Please limit your questions to those related to DNR Applied Science Research, Snapshot Wisconsin or ecological research with trail cameras.

Question from Lori: Wondering what the movement of elk has shown, do they tend to stay in the same area for a period of time, do they move on to new areas quite often, or do they have a cycle of moving through and then returning again?

Answer from Joe Dittrich, Assistant Deer and Elk Research Scientist: Great question Lori! Elk in the western states often have distinct summer and winter ranges. These animals typically spend summers at higher elevations, in areas including alpine meadows, and winter at lower elevations where there is less snow cover. In Wisconsin we don’t have mountains but our elk do use different habitats and aspects (hill slope direction) throughout the year. For example, forest openings and areas with good herbaceous cover are important feeding areas during the spring and summer while conifer forests are more heavily used, as thermal cover, in the winter. Also, elk spend more time on south-facing slopes in the winter and spring because these slopes receive more sunshine and are usually warmer and have less snow than other aspects.

Regarding movement patterns of individual elk, I can tell you that movements are influenced by variables including time of year, sex, and age and there is quite a bit of variation between animals. Some elk spend most of their time in a relatively small area while others are more rangy – we’ve had individuals move approximately 20 miles in one day. We expect the Kentucky elk that were recently released in Black River Falls and the Flambeau River State Forest to take a while to settle into a regular routine because the landscape is new and unfamiliar to them. We should have a much better idea of home range sizes and habitat use in the next year or two after the elk acclimate to their surroundings.