How to Track Animal Migration With a Computer
If you have an interest in learning more about the habits of the animal kingdom, you can use your personal computer to track wildlife migratory patterns. According to author Ben Hoare, satellite tracking, or telemetry, has allowed for amazing progress in tracking animal migration patterns. Satellites relay information from animal tracking devices directly to computers, yielding greater accuracy in research. Not only is this an educational endeavor, but it can also be an opportunity to bring awareness to or help raise money for endangered animal species. One example is a National Geographic project called "The Great Turtle Race," which allows Internet users the opportunity to track the migratory patterns of sea turtles while, providing valuable conservation information for concerned trackers.
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Instructions
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Research the online organizations that are already participating in animal tracking projects. Possible options include counting birds for "The Great Backyard Bird Count," which will give you a list of birds in your area, as well as instructions how to count them. Another option is to track migration patterns of the gray whale at "Journey North."
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Hawkwatch International tracks Golden Eagles in an effort to help with conservation. Choose an organization that has a satellite tracking program set up for the animal you have chosen (see Resources below for ideas). For example, at "Hawkwatch International," much work has been done to help with conservation efforts for the raptor, and since its birth in 1999, tracking efforts have been conducted for 98 different types of birds including the Golden Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, and the Northern Goshawk.
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Sign up and follow the instructions specific to the organization that you have chosen. For example, at "Journey North," a site geared towards students, you will be guided through several steps, including reading about the migration process for your chosen animal, learning more about your chosen animal, exploring the animal's migration route, following the migration news, keeping a migration journal, graphing and analyzing migration data, mapping the migration, and tracking animal movements. Information is available to download and print, to make the process easier.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Turtle image by Michael Bird from Fotolia.com Golden eagle image by MAXFX from Fotolia.com
