Wildlife

The A.T.’s 250 000 acres of protected lands are home to countless species, including rare, threatened and endangered species like the timber rattler and peregrine falcon, game species like the black bear and wild turkey, and non-game species from frogs and salamanders to skunks and coyotes.

In some cases, these species have very little habitat left outside of A.T. lands and monitoring them can help protect them from extinction. Similarly, data about the wildlife found on A.T. lands can help us judge the effects that human activities on surrounding lands have on bird and animal populations.

The current focus of the wildlife monitoring segment of the A.T. MEGA-Transect program is on building and expanding monitoring programs for mountain birds and for large mammals.

Find out more about these topics and volunteer opportunities:

Mountain birds -- Monitor birds along the A.T. to determine species that are at risk and how birds will fare in the face of changing climate or other stressors.

Mammal wildlife survey -- Study large mammals using motion-sensitive cameras to form a more complete inventory of large mammals found along the Trail.