As part of the Defining Urban Biodiversity project (DUB), researchers at Cary Institute and Scenic Hudson are working with community partners to identify wildlife across parks and green spaces in New York’s Hudson Valley cities: Newburgh, Poughkeepsie, and Kingston. Monitoring is done via a network of trail cameras that record animal activity seasonally, through regular surveys conducted by our research team, and through community participation through iNaturalist and eBird apps. Insights into biodiversity will help inform urban conservation programs that improve urban green spaces for people and wildlife. Cary research technician Samuel Mateo Jr. will be sharing insights into urban biodiversity observed by the team.
Hi everyone, my name is Samuel Mateo Jr., but feel free to call me Sam. I am a birder and illustrator who has always been naturally curious about all things outdoors. That interest has led me to earn a BS in Organismal Biology from SUNY New Paltz and to work as a research technician with Dr. Kara Belinsky’s Breeding Montane Birds Research Project through the Catskill Science Collaborative. I’ve recently added wildlife photography to my list of interests, so if you see me outside, chances are I'll have a camera on me!
Ep. 1 | The Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)
Popularized by children’s stories, cartoons, and its own pop song, the beautiful red fox brings awe to people of all ages. The red fox is one of the animals we see most frequently across sites in all three focal cities. Foxes prefer to live in mixed landscapes that provide ample plant cover, large tree or rock cavities that can serve as dens, and a variety of small prey options (like rodents, rabbits, and small birds) — conditions that are readily accessible in some urban neighborhoods.
Despite being the most widely distributed carnivore in the world and occurring in nearly every county of New York State, catching a glimpse of this carnivore is rare, as they are primarily nocturnal and try to avoid humans and other possible predators. Because foxes eat the small rodents that feed early stage blacklegged ticks, local fox activity may help reduce human risk of contracting tick-borne illnesses like Lyme disease.
Wildlife trail cams
Images below taken with No-Glow wildlife trail cameras with infrared motion detection deployed at DUB study sites.
