Utah State University master's research in Summit and Wasatch Counties, Utah
Photos
August 6, 2026- Going through footage: Melany on trail cams
As soon as we get the photos, we run them through a closed software that automatically blurs any photo with a person in it. I'm sharing these two photos of myself on the trails to demonstrate how the photos look before we begin going through them, but rest assured that I will never post photos of anyone other than myself.
We are only using photos of people to quantify how many people are on the trails, and what kind of recreation they are doing (biking, on-leash dog walking, off-leash dog walking, horseback riding, etc.). In this case, I would log "1 individual" and "walking/hiking."
August 4, 2026- Field outing
A snapshot of one of the stunning trails we are monitoring. Moose tend to like forests with aspen due to the shade and food sources they can provide.
Trampled, dying grass like this can sometimes indicate an animal has been lying down there. Due to the large size and proximity to a recent sighting, I believe this could be where the moose and her young had been sleeping.
July 24, 2026- Field outing
We're using Bushnell Core S4K cameras due to their unique, "no glow" night time technology. Because wild animals can sometimes get spooked by camera flashes, this technology helps the cameras remain inconspicuous to wildlife. Photo by Shauna Hart
Unfortunately, each one of these cameras has a different set of keys. This means staying organized is of utmost importance. Photo by Shauna Hart
Finding the right location for a camera can be tricky, but it's made much easier through the use of offline mobile phone apps. Photo by Shauna Hart
Here is one of our beautiful study areas. Hiking the mountains for field work can be a challenge, but it's always more enjoyable when you have such amazing views. Photo by Shauna Hart
