During the summer of 2015, Adventure Scientists contributed to conservation as they hiked and backpacked in the Uinta Mountains.
Motivated outdoors people with strong backcountry skills maintained study sites in and outside the borders of the High Uintas Wilderness. Crew members covered between 10 and 18 miles in a weekend (depending on site location), navigated off-trail using smartphone or tablet-based GPS software, and recorded accurate data using digital forms.
Sharing stories is a part of adventure, and crew members had the opportunity to contribute theirs through writing and visual media on Adventure Scientists’ media outlets including the Field Notes blog and our National Geographic Voices blog.
- Hike 10-18 miles roundtrip and 1,000-3,000 feet of elevation gain to camera stations.
- Attend two trainings (May 30-31 & June 13-14) to learn project protocols.
- Bring a backcountry travel partner to the project (all camera checks must happen in teams of two for safety and data quality assurance).
- Commit to checking camera stations once a month during July, August and September.
- Maintain motion-activated camera stations in remote locations (replace batteries and memory cards, replace scent lure and non-reward food bait).
- Record field data using smartphone and tablet-based software.
- Return memory cards to USFS ranger stations in Heber, Evanston, Logan or Salt Lake City depending on adopted field location.
- Contribute images, video and writing to ASC social media.
- Work collaboratively with other crew members, ASC and USFS staff.
The survey crew contributed to the scientific knowledge and conservation of rare carnivores in one of Utah’s most spectacular alpine regions.
