Madison - The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Snapshot Wisconsin project is expanding and needs volunteers to help collect wildlife photos in Manitowoc, Waupaca and Jackson Counties. Snapshot Wisconsin is a citizen science effort to capture images of all types of wildlife that inhabit our state including deer, elk, bears, fox, bobcats, whooping cranes and more.

"Snapshot Wisconsin is becoming the largest citizen science project in Wisconsin," says Jennifer Stenglein, Snapshot Wisconsin program coordinator. "By volunteering, participants will have a great opportunity to help collect and categorize photos of Wisconsin wildlife."

To qualify to participate, volunteers must have access to at least 10 acres of contiguous private land in Manitowoc, Waupaca and Jackson Counties and agree to maintain a trail camera on that land for at least one year. Training and supplies will be provided and no prior experience with trail cameras is necessary. In person training sessions will be held this fall.

The photos collected will offer the unique opportunity to view wildlife going about their normal routines out in the wild and the data will help researchers better understand Wisconsin's ecological landscapes. Snapshot Wisconsin is a project led by Wisconsin DNR in partnership with University of Wisconsin and UW-Extension. The project is also recruiting applicants from Iowa, Iron and Sawyer counties, tribal members or affiliates on tribal lands and educators state wide. Additional counties will be rolled out over the next few years.

Volunteers can sign up by visiting www.snapshotwisignup.org or find out more details by visiting the webpage which can be found at dnr.wi.gov using keyword "Snapshot Wisconsin."