By Chad Love

Trail cameras are, for hunters, becoming so ubiquitous that we often don't think about their potential for other uses. I certainly never did until my son said he wanted one for Christmas, not for hunting, but to record all the various wildlife that travels through our rural back yard.
 
I thought it was a great idea, and in the broader context I thought it had real potential to get kids interested in the outdoors. But as I was perusing the excellent Southern Rockies Nature Blog recently I discovered a link to a teacher who had already figured that out.

From the blog:
Question: How do you make it fun for kids to learn about ecology and  modern technology, and develop respect for nature? Answer: Give them lessons in camera trapping. That's what’s happening at Afton-Lakeland Elementary School near Minnesota's twin cities. Dawn Tanner is developing a trail camera curriculum there for school kids. Dawn is a University of Minnesota PhD candidate. Her baptism in wildlife research was in the Galapagos Islands and Malaysian Borneo. She loved fieldwork, but decided that she wanted to get elementary school kids turned on to science, biodiversity, and conservation.

And how did that happen? Well, she got an NSF fellowship that sent graduate students in ecology and conservation biology to Minnesota's metropolitan schools. Their mission there was to work with the teachers to improve science lessons and incorporate science more broadly into the school curriculum.

Many Minnesota kids have formed positive attitudes about the environment by the time they reach the fifth grade.

The word is out and teachers are interested. “Quite a number of teachers have contacted me already because they've heard about the testing we're doing at Afton-Lakeland Elementary. They want to get involved right now. I wish I could have the curriculum ready sooner. There’s a strong desire to teach with remote cameras and get kids out there doing biodiversity science." To date Dawn and the kids have photographed 12 species of mammals and birds.
 
Curmudgeonly hand-wringing about the future of our children is something we all engage in. I'm quite guilty of it myself.
 
But the fact is, our kids are growing up in and are being shaped by a different world, a more connected, wired and technological world than we did, and no amount of teeth-gnashing and nostalgic bemoaning will change that. The trick now is to figure out a way to get kids engaged in the natural world through the mediums they understand. This is an absolutely brilliant way of accomplishing that. I salute Dawn Tanner and I predict similar programs will start popping up in schools all over the nation.

PHOTO BY Willy4003 -- entered into our October Trail Cam Contest

Comments (13)

from shaunpitts wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Cool article and amazing picture! I was just telling a coworker this morning about putting trail cameras in the backyard!

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from 007 wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

This is a great picture. I've been priveledged to see birds drumming a couple of times in my lifetime. I was wishing for my camera a week or so ago when my son and I came up on a rooster in full display, ruffs flared, full fan, he was in full strut, showing off for a couple of lady friends on down the road a little piece. He was not 10' away and in no hurry to leave. Creation at its finest.

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from cTXn wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Great idea! My mom is an elementary teacher in Austin, TX and I sent her this link with hopes that she can pass it along, and possibly develop something like this in her school. Thanks Chad.

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from jeffo52284 wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Great picture and great idea I wish I would have had this when I was in school.

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from Jim in Mo wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Chad and all,
This kid seems to be fully engaged in the outdoors. Wish I new the gun he used.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ODD_BOY_SHOOTS_BEAR?SITE=MOSTP...

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from Jim in Mo wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Sorry Chad,
How'd you beat me on that article I just got it today?

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from neuman23 wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Thats awesome. Wish they had something like this when I was in school.

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from jlbaxa wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Awesome idea.

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from coho310 wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

This is a really good idea,Xbox and TV are rotting kids' minds becuase they're constantly on it.This should help fix that.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Robert Ewing wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Great Idea , I know some grandkids that could use a introduction like this.

Does anyone have recommendation or a link to some product reviews ?

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from jordjohn44 wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

That is a pretty intense picture that perfectly shows a drumming grouse. This is something many people will go their entire lives without seeing or hearing. I think this is a great idea.

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from kk66 wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

My wife is an elementary school teacher who does a section every fall on nature/animals, she is constantly looking for pictures of animals and has been using trail cam pics as it is much easier than combing through back issues of magazines.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from 2Poppa wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Very innovative ... sign of the times!

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

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from 007 wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

This is a great picture. I've been priveledged to see birds drumming a couple of times in my lifetime. I was wishing for my camera a week or so ago when my son and I came up on a rooster in full display, ruffs flared, full fan, he was in full strut, showing off for a couple of lady friends on down the road a little piece. He was not 10' away and in no hurry to leave. Creation at its finest.

+3 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from shaunpitts wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Cool article and amazing picture! I was just telling a coworker this morning about putting trail cameras in the backyard!

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from cTXn wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Great idea! My mom is an elementary teacher in Austin, TX and I sent her this link with hopes that she can pass it along, and possibly develop something like this in her school. Thanks Chad.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from jordjohn44 wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

That is a pretty intense picture that perfectly shows a drumming grouse. This is something many people will go their entire lives without seeing or hearing. I think this is a great idea.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from jeffo52284 wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Great picture and great idea I wish I would have had this when I was in school.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Jim in Mo wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Chad and all,
This kid seems to be fully engaged in the outdoors. Wish I new the gun he used.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ODD_BOY_SHOOTS_BEAR?SITE=MOSTP...

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Jim in Mo wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Sorry Chad,
How'd you beat me on that article I just got it today?

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from neuman23 wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Thats awesome. Wish they had something like this when I was in school.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from jlbaxa wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Awesome idea.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from coho310 wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

This is a really good idea,Xbox and TV are rotting kids' minds becuase they're constantly on it.This should help fix that.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from Robert Ewing wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Great Idea , I know some grandkids that could use a introduction like this.

Does anyone have recommendation or a link to some product reviews ?

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from kk66 wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

My wife is an elementary school teacher who does a section every fall on nature/animals, she is constantly looking for pictures of animals and has been using trail cam pics as it is much easier than combing through back issues of magazines.

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from 2Poppa wrote 2 years 11 weeks ago

Very innovative ... sign of the times!

+1 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

Post a Comment

 

All submitted comments are subject to the rules set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.