Research
AUNI follows standard protocols developed by the UWIN, placing one to three cameras at each partner site four times per year, in July, October, January, and April. This seasonal approach enables us to track how biodiversity and wildlife activity vary throughout the year. Our sites range from relatively natural areas like parks and wildlife refuges to heavily built-up urban locations, allowing us to study how the degree of urbanization shapes the wildlife community.
How Images Become Data
1)
Camera detects motion and captures a time-stamped photo
2)
Images uploaded to WildTrax; AI identifies animals, people, or vehicles
3)
Our team manually reviews every image to identify species
4)
Verified data are analyzed to answer our research questions
For each camera location, we characterize the surrounding physical environment within a 250-meter radius. These measurements help us understand how the built landscape around each site shapes the wildlife found there. Some landcover characteristics we include in our site analyses are:
- Radiant surface temperature (how hot the ground and surfaces get)
- Amount of pavement and hard surfaces
- Area of green space
- Distance to nearest body of water
- Distance to nearest road
Research Questions
We look at how the number and variety of species varies across sites with different amounts of tree cover, pavement, green space, and proximity to water and roads. The goal is to understand which features of the urban landscape make a place more or less welcoming to wildlife.
Because every image is time-stamped, we can track when different species are active: during the day, at night, or at dawn and dusk. We also follow how those patterns shift across seasons. This helps reveal how urban wildlife adapts its behavior to share space with people.
Cities tend to be significantly warmer than surrounding areas. This so-called “urban heat island” effect is caused by heat being absorbed and re-radiated by pavement, buildings, and reduced tree cover. We’re investigating how temperature differences across Philadelphia affect which animals are present and how active they are. These findings could inform how cities design green infrastructure to cool neighborhoods and support biodiversity at the same time.
Preliminary findings and interactive data visualization dashboard by Zihang Yang & Jinheng Cen, Master of City Planning students, Penn Stuart Weitzman School of Design. View full analysis →
Newly-Launched Research Projects
The following three projects were developed in the first year of the project and were informed by conversations with our partners. All three projects will run alongside the ongoing trail camera work, using the same partner sites, allowing us to build a richer, more complete picture of how urban wildlife and people share green spaces in Philadelphia.
Our trail cameras are designed to detect mammals moving through an area and capture only a subset of birds that can be observed on or near the ground. When partners asked whether we could also track the birds using their green spaces, we began testing small audio recording devices that can be used to identify bird species by their songs and calls.
In May 2026, we deployed six devices at three partner sites alongside our trail cameras. In just one to two weeks, we had captured a remarkable diversity of species, including some of conservation concern in Pennsylvania. We are now looking to expand this pilot to additional sites across the city.
Why this matters: Birds are among our best indicators of ecological health. When bird communities are diverse and thriving, it generally signals a well-functioning ecosystem. Philadelphia sits within the Atlantic Flyway, one of the major migratory corridors used by hundreds of millions of birds each year, and urban green spaces serve as critical stopover points where birds can rest and refuel. By documenting which species use Philadelphia’s parks, and when, we can help park managers better understand where to focus their efforts.
A growing body of research shows that spending time in parks and green spaces improves mental and physical health. Wildlife can be a part of what makes these spaces feel worth visiting, but people’s responses to wildlife vary widely. An encounter with a red fox or great blue heron might be the highlight of someone’s day. For another person, the same encounter might feel unsettling.
We want to understand those differences and explore whether simple, low-cost outreach like interpretive signage or short education programs could help more Philadelphians feel comfortable and connected to the wildlife around them.
Why this matters: Managing urban green spaces well mean thinking about the human experience alongside the ecological one. If certain wildlife encounters are discouraging park use, that’s important to know. If residents feel more connected to local wildlife, they may also be more invested in protecting it. Understanding that relationship is an important step toward making Philadelphia’s green spaces welcoming and beneficial for both humans and wildlife.
While reviewing our trail camera images, we noticed something striking: some red foxes appear healthy while others show signs of mange. Mange is caused by a microscopic parasitic mite that burrows into the skin, triggering intense itching, hair loss, and thick crusty sores. In severe cases, mange can cause death of foxes.
Why this matters: Urban environments create unusual conditions for wildlife, including fragmented habitat, variable food availability, and populations living in close proximity to one another and to people. Understanding what drives mange outbreaks in this context, whether habitat type, green space connectivity, or local fox density, could offer insights into how city landscapes affect wildlife health more broadly.