Earth Day provides a great opportunity to learn more about the earth’s natural habitat and the projects that seek to study and preserve it. One such effort is The Furman Cougar Project which is led by Furman University Biology Professor, Dr. Travis Perry. The Furman Cougar Project began in 2008 as an effort to monitor and research cougars (also known as pumas or mountain lions) in south-central New Mexico. Each summer Dr. Perry and his students travel to Sierra County New Mexico to photograph and track the large wild cats. The research team sets up a grid of cameras in key locations that are programmed to snap a photograph of any movement. The cameras help the team identify potential locations of the cougars. When a cougar’s location is identified, the team then safely captures, tags, and collars it with a GPS locator. In this way, they are able to track the movements and hunting patterns of the cougars. You can read more about this project in the blog, Tracking the Furman Cougar.
The Furman Cougar Project digital collection contains more than just photographs of cougars, however. Because the cameras are set to photograph every movement, there are pictures of a wide assortment of wildlife. Everything from skunks, to boars, to bears, to humans appear in the digital collection. Take a moment to celebrate Earth Day by browsing this truly one-of-a-kind digital collection.