Camera trapping is the method of using automated motion-triggered cameras to capture a photograph of wildlife, AKA “trap” the animal. Scientists use camera traps to gather data on species composition, distribution, movement, conservation efforts, and related topics. At my unit, we use camera traps to better understand the species composition of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. We want to know which species are in the different areas of the gorge, so when we have projects in those areas in the future, we’ll have some baseline data to work from. For example, if we wanted to thin Douglas-fir at a restoration site, we would consult our existing camera-trap data before proceeding with the treatments. Let’s say, for the purpose of this example, that the camera trap data showed the presence of Western Gray Squirrels – then we would know to survey the project area for squirrel nests prior to treating the area, so that when we conduct the thinning project, we could avoid trees with squirrel nests and minimize impact to the species. This is just one example of many ways in which knowledge of species composition could support management efforts within the gorge.