Hidden Stories

hidden stories

How does wildlife use a landscape? Does it change over time? What wildlife stories have been captured using trail cameras?

To help answer these questions visitors may virtually explore the natural communities at Squam Lakes Natural Science Center using maps, still images, video clips, and graphs we’ve collected since 2017. Four species, including Red Fox, White-tailed Deer, Coyote, and Black Bear are highlighted in the exhibit.

How Does the Hidden Stories Project Work?

The Hidden Stories trail camera project includes four parts:

Volunteers help monitor trail cameras

The collected images are uploaded to a database allowing staff to construct graphs and maps that illustrate animal activity on the property. A list of useful video clips and images is created to share with the public.

Story Maps - online narratives of the project and the most recent results

Interactive maps, video clips, still images, graphs, and links to blog posts allow visitors to learn in more detail about the project results.

This is currently being updated.

Hidden Stories Exhibit

Located in the lobby of the Webster Education Building, the exhibit features an introduction to the technology for the project, focusing on trail cameras and Global Imaging Systems (GIS) used for capturing images and creating maps. It also highlights the results for four wildlife species including red fox, white-tailed deer, coyote, and black bear. The exhibit will be updated annually.