Analysis of camera trap data using distance sampling workshop 18-21 October; registration now open

[Eric Rexstad]

Analysis of camera trap data using distance sampling

Camera traps 📷 are widely used for studying terrestrial animal populations. One method for estimating animal abundance from data collected by camera traps that does not require animal identification is distance sampling. The University of St Andrews has been training ecologists and statisticians in design and analysis of distance sampling studies for decades.  Along with former St Andrews students now working for Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry as well as the Wildlife Conservation Society, the University of St Andrews is offering training in the analysis of these data.  The fundamentals of this analysis method are described in this recent publication:
- Howe, E. J., Buckland, S. T., Després-Einspenner, M.-L., & Kühl, H. S. (2018). Distance sampling with camera traps. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 8:1558–1565.

We are offering the training workshop spread over four days in mid-October 2021.  You will be invited to interact in short lectures on distance sampling principles. 👩‍🎓 Exercises analysing data sets in R will reinforce those principles and lecturers will be available to assist during the practical session via screen sharing.  Each session will conclude with a summary of the exercise and question/answer session for both lecture and exercise. 💻 

The workshop will be delivered using Microsoft Teams web conferencing software along with R-Studio "in the cloud".☁️ You will need a free RStudio/Cloud account available from https://rstudio.cloud.  There will be internet connection testing sessions in the first half of October to ensure adequate bandwidth for a pleasurable workshop experience.

Important details

 - Workshop dates and time:  18-21 October 2021; 1500-1800 UK time. For the time of day in your zone, consult this universal time converter🕰️
   - https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?msg=Analysis+of+camera+trap+data+using+distance+sampling+training+workshop+&iso=20211018T14&p1=3853&ah=3
 - Registration deadline: 03 September 2021📅
 - Enrolment limit: 15
 - Cost: 270 British pounds 💵
 - What is included: Lectures, exercises, code, data all available online📃
   
Further details
http://workshops.distancesampling.org/CTDS-Oct2021.html

At the web site above, you will find a link to the St Andrews online shop where payment is made.  After registration, you will be contacted and provided with additional details regarding workshop electronic materials, etc.

Feel free to contact eric.rexstad<at>st-andrews.ac.uk with questions. Please share this announcement with interested colleagues.  There will be a companion workshop offered in March 2022 dealing with the same subject, but software for the March workshop will be Distance for Windows, rather than R.

Information regarding all distance sampling workshops can be found at

https://workshops.distancesampling.org

-- 
Eric Rexstad
Centre for Ecological and Environmental Modelling
University of St Andrews
St Andrews is a charity registered in Scotland SC013532