Wild About Wildlife with our Wildlife Photo Classification Volunteers
Did you know that July is Wild About Wildlife Month? It's a time to celebrate the incredible diversity of wildlife around us while recognizing the importance of protecting the habitats that help these species thrive.
At Five Rivers MetroParks, that work happens every day. One of the ways our Conservation team monitors wildlife is through camera arrays installed at Spring Run Conservation Area. Originally established to better understand the success of wetland restoration efforts and monitor amphibians and reptiles, these cameras have captured tens of thousands of images of the animals that call Spring Run home, from leopard frogs and eastern cottontails to chipmunks, long-tailed weasels, and so much more.
Of course, collecting the photos is only half the story. Someone has to sort through them all. That's where our Camera Trap Photo Classification volunteers come in.
In 2025, eight dedicated volunteers, alongside members of our Conservation Leaders programs, classified nearly 60,000 photos. The year before, volunteers classified almost 72,000 images, providing valuable data that helps our biologists better understand wildlife populations and the impact of habitat restoration efforts.
Some volunteers have gone above and beyond. Volunteer Norah Tempus has personally classified an astonishing 98,278 photos, while Donna Hangen has contributed more than 11,500 classifications. Their dedication has played an important role in the success of this project, and we're incredibly grateful for the time and care they've invested.
As we look ahead, we're excited to expand the project even further by adding a third camera array at Spring Run, allowing us to monitor an additional area and continue learning about the wildlife that lives there.
If spending time with wildlife photos while contributing to meaningful conservation work sounds like your kind of volunteer opportunity, we'd love to have you join us! New volunteers are invited to attend the in-person Camera Trap Photo Classification Training on July 28th from 5pm-6:30pm, to learn more about the project, how to identify wildlife in photos, and how their efforts support conservation at Five Rivers MetroParks. After training, volunteers can classify photos remotely from home, making this a flexible way to make a lasting impact.
This Wild About Wildlife Month, celebrate the amazing animals that share our parks, and consider becoming one of the volunteers helping us better understand and protect them. 
Meet more AMAZING volunteers in our Volunteer Spotlights, available on the Volunteer Blog on Get Connected here.
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