We know our preserves provide valuable wildlife habitat, but we don’t always know what wildlife is using the habitat. As much as we wish, we can’t be out on our preserves 24/7. Even if we could do that, many of the animals are secretive and we might never encounter them.
So how do we discover what animals call the CWC preserves home? One of the best methods is to use trail cameras (AKA camera traps). Trail cameras can be left out for weeks or even months at a time – they don’t complain about weather and they don’t need to sleep like human beings. The key to using trail cameras for wildlife watching is placement. The cameras must be located in places the animals will frequent – like along a trail or near a food or water source.
Fortunately Hall’s Lake Natural Area has lots of locations that offer one or more of those conditions. Since the end of August our trail cams at Hall’s Lake have captured hundreds of images. Here are a few favorites from one of the cameras.
Great blue heron 
Northern raccoons 
Bobcat 
Beaver 
Beaver 
Virginia opossum 
White-tail doe and fawns 
Curious doe
