UWIN By the Numbers

The Urban Wildlife Information Network (UWIN) created by the Urban Wildlife Institute at Lincoln Park Zoo combats our biodiversity crisis by making cities part of the solution. This global network of urban ecologists collects data on urban wildlife that can ultimately reduce human-wildlife conflict in some of the most heavily populated areas on Earth.

Since launching in 2017, UWIN has grown and transformed immensely. Take a look, below, to see what UWIN has been up to and able to accomplish over the years:

11 Graduate students involved in UWIN

13 Multi-city scientific papers in progress

23 States/provinces represented in the network

35 Partnering cities in the network

60 Partnering organizations in the network

250 Species identified

Over 1,300 Motion-triggered cameras in use

Over 3 million wildlife detections

Photo courtesy of the Urban Wildlife Institute.

This past season, the Urban Wildlife Information Network added four new partners, bringing the total to 35 partnering cities in the network! The new cities include Athens, Georgia, Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, Houston, Texas, and Urbana, Illinois.

What’s on the horizon for the Urban Wildlife Information Network? In exciting news, UWIN has started an acoustic monitoring effort. Partners in the network set out devices that collect wildlife sound in April to kick off the pilot season. Ten AudioMoths, an acoustic monitoring device, were placed along an urban-rural gradient in 12 of UWIN’s partnering cities. These devices collect sounds in both audible and ultrasonic wavelengths, meaning they can record things the human ear can hear, like bird song, as well as inaudible sounds, like bat calls! The current pilot is targeted at better understanding birds in the urban environment.

Photo courtesy of the Urban Wildlife Institute.

Are you interested in lending a helping hand and discovering what species are being spotted on camera in Chicago? Aid the zoo’s researchers and test your identification skills through Chicago Wildlife Watch!