ALBANY, NY (July 8, 2025) — The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), in partnership with Cornell University and the New York Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit (NYCFWRU), launched Snapshot NY, a citizen science program encouraging volunteers to monitor wildlife using trail cameras, DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton announced Tuesday.
The initiative aims to collect data on wildlife populations, trends, and distribution across New York to enhance conservation and management strategies. Volunteers can place trail cameras on private or public land to capture images of mammals, providing critical data for DEC biologists.
“More than 60 percent of land in New York is privately owned, and this new collaborative effort will help DEC biologists collect critical information about wildlife in areas where our experts have historically lacked access,” Lefton said. “As an added bonus, Snapshot NY is a fantastic opportunity to get outside, connect with the outdoors, and directly contribute to wildlife conservation efforts in New York State.”
Angela Fuller, leader of the NYCFWRU and professor at Cornell University, said, “Snapshot NY represents an unprecedented opportunity to generate large-scale, long-term data on wildlife populations across New York.
This collaboration exemplifies how partnerships among agencies, scientists, and the public can advance wildlife conservation and management in meaningful and measurable ways.”
Participants can use their own trail cameras or apply to borrow one through the program. Volunteers download the Snapshot NY app, create an account on http://www.snapshotny.org, and select one of approximately 4,500 survey grid cells across the state to place a camera. They upload images, including GPS coordinates, time, and date, about every two weeks. No prior experience is required, and the program is open to anyone with access to land and an interest in wildlife.
Those without private land access can request permission to place cameras on public lands like state forests or wildlife management areas. The program collects detection and non-detection data to track mammal presence and absence, aiding evidence-based decision-making.
For more information or to participate, visit http://www.snapshotny.org.
This article was drafted with the aid of Grok, an AI tool by xAI, under the direction and editing of Robert Cox to ensure accuracy and adherence to journalistic standards.