NatureSpy Year in Review 2024
As 2024 draws to a close, we reflect on the past year, sharing highlights from our project partners, updates on new NatureSpy wildlife cameras and initiatives, and a glimpse of what’s to come in 2025.
When NatureSpy was founded in 2014, we set out to support and collaborate with conservation projects through non-invasive wildlife monitoring technology, principally trail cameras. Ten years on, we are proud to be working with an incredible variety of conservation initiatives around the world - from Scottish wildcats in the Highlands to Andean bears in Ecuador’s cloud forests.
As a conservation social enterprise, the support we provide to these projects is powered by profits from our online shop. We’d like to extend our heartfelt thanks to our customers - your purchases truly make a difference!
Camera check by a greater kudu - Shinganda, Zambia
Project updates
The conservation initiatives we support use trail cameras for wildlife protection, recovery, monitoring and research. Many of these initiatives also foster stronger connections between people and wildlife, promoting coexistence and engagement through community-focused activities. From equipment loans and donations to hands-on field support, we tailor our assistance to help each project meet its unique conservation goals.
Thanks to the support of our online shop customers, nearly 400 trail cameras are currently in use across our 12 partner projects. Below, we share just a few of the highlights from this past year - visit our project pages to explore more!
This year marked the launch of a new phase for our longest-running conservation project. In partnership with Forestry England and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, we introduced the North East Yorkshire Pine Marten Pathways Project, a two-year initiative exploring how to support the recovery of this rare mammal in the North York Moors National Park and surrounding areas. Our well-established monitoring programme continues to capture trail camera footage of pine martens in Yorkshire, and as always, we encourage the public to report any sightings.
Pathways project team checking camera footage - Yorkshire
Shinganda Wildlife Wilderness in Zambia, a 20,000ha conservancy connected to Kafue National Park, is a haven for African wildlife. With 50 mammal species recorded to date - including lions, hyenas, wild dogs and elephants - the diversity of wildlife within this landscape is truly stunning. The Shinganda team work tirelessly to monitor and protect the wildlife at the conservancy. Earlier this year, they shared trail camera photos capturing the remarkable transformation of the habitat during Zambia’s lush green season.
Installing a trail camera to monitor leopards - Shinganda
We are proud to continue our support for Rainforest Concern at the Neblina and Los Cedros Reserves in Ecuador and the Nasampulli Reserve in Chile. Trail cameras play an essential role in safeguarding these reserves, home to species such as the Andean bear, black-and-chestnut eagle, howler monkeys and puma. The Neblina Reserve poses technical camera trapping challenges from intense humidity and curious Andean bears, but our NatureSpy Ursus Trail Cameras, with their high durability, have proven up to the task. Meanwhile, deep snow at the Nasampulli Reserve has presented the team with very different challenges in an equally beautiful landscape…
Trail camera checks in deep snow at the Nasampulli Reserve in Chile
In the UK, we began an exciting new partnership with Badger Trust. Over the summer, Badger Trust conducted a pilot study to trial camera trapping methods for a large-scale State of the Badger Survey across England and Wales. This ambitious project aims to assess the status of badgers at the national level, providing vital information for the conservation of this iconic species.
Badger Trust volunteers find a badger latrine
In Idaho, USA, the Wood River Wolf Project continues its innovative work to foster coexistence between wolves and livestock. Trail cameras enable the team to monitor wolf movements and demonstrate the success of non-lethal methods used to deter predation. With wolves ranging across vast and rugged landscapes, the team relies on e-bikes to cover large distances efficiently - a fantastic way to navigate the wilderness of Idaho!
WRWP field team getting ready to hit the trails
Our brand new website
In November, we launched our completely redesigned website, improving functionality and making it easier to find what you need. As wildlife biologists, we’re excited to share our expertise in a practical, accessible way. Our new Support Hub connects you quickly to resources like how-to videos, help articles, and user manuals for specific trail cameras. We’ve also revamped our Project Pages, making it easier than ever to explore the conservation initiatives we support and learn about the innovative ways they use wildlife watching technology.
Introducing our trail camera loan scheme
In November, alongside the launch of our new website, we also introduced the Trail Cam Collective. This initiative offers wildlife camera loans to make wildlife monitoring more accessible, whether for exploring local species and habitats, engaging in small conservation projects, or for personal enrichment and ecotherapy. The scheme is currently available to individuals, families, community groups, education programs and small grassroots charities in the UK. Since its launch, cameras have been loaned across the UK to forest schools, primary schools, community groups and families. Due to high demand, we are currently closed to new applications until spring 2024, when we will open applications for summer loans.
The latest NatureSpy wildlife cameras
In 2024, we launched two exciting new wildlife cameras: the NatureSpy Helarctos Solar Trail Camera and the NatureSpy WiFi BirdCam Pro.
The Helarctos Solar Trail Camera is a traditional trail camera with some sought-after extra features. Harnessing solar energy to power a rechargeable battery, the Helarctos delivers stunning 4K video at 30fps. It can be used like a traditional trail camera by downloading footage from the SD card, or you can access the camera via local WiFi (within 25ft) to view footage on a smartphone.
Helarctos Solar Trail Camera
The WiFi BirdCam Pro is designed to meet the needs of garden bird enthusiasts. Featuring crisp 1080p video recording, solar power, a rechargeable battery, a large bird feeder and AI bird recognition. All controlled from the comfort of your living room via the NatureSpy phone app (with no subscription fees!) - hop onto the live stream to watch birds in real time, or set the camera to trigger and record videos for viewing later.
On the horizon in 2025
Looking ahead to 2025, we’re excited to continue developing innovative wildlife watching technology, including new trail cameras and optics with cutting-edge features. We’ll also be expanding into new territories, all while maintaining our commitment to quality and customer service - an exciting challenge we’re ready for! Our focus will also be on enhancing our impact as a conservation social enterprise, with increased efforts toward sustainability.
To stay up-to-date with NatureSpy’s news and highlights footage from our project partners, follow us on Instagram and YouTube, or sign up for our monthly newsletter at the bottom of our homepage for updates on new products, projects and more.
