WILLISTOWN CONSERVATION TRUST

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MOTUS WILDLIFE TRACKING SYSTEM

Prothonotary Warbler with Motus nano tag. Photo: BirdLife International.
Prothonotary Warbler with Motus nano tag. Photo: BirdLife International.
Motus tower installed at greenhouse at Rushton Woods Preserve.
Motus tower installed at greenhouse at Rushton Woods Preserve.
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WHO WE ARE | The Northeast Motus Collaboration is a partnership between the Willistown Conservation Trust, Chester County, PA; the Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art, Dauphin County, PA; Project Owlnet, a cooperative research project involving more than 125 independent owl-research sites in North America; and Powdermill Nature Reserve, Carnegie Museum of Natural History (Carnegie Institute), Rector, PA.

WHAT IS MOTUS | Motus Wildlife Tracking System project is coordinated by Birds Canada, and now includes hundreds of collaborating institutions, agencies, and independent researchers.  With small Motus towers in place from Nunavut, Canada to Chile, more than 22,000 animals representing more than 200 species, including songbirds, raptors, seabirds, bats, monarch butterflies, and migratory dragonflies, have been tagged by dozens of participant researchers. See Motus by the Numbers for more information.

Motus' goal is to combine individual research projects into a massive, collaborative, coordinated, hemispheric network of VHF nanotag receiver stations, allowing researchers to track the movements of flying animals too small to support traditional satellite or GPS telemetry. All participants use a single shared radio frequency, shared infrastructure, a shared database, and (within reason) shared results. Movement tracks are presented on the Motus website for public education in a way that does not jeopardize the publications or research interests of the individual cooperators.

Nanotag transmitters currently weigh as little as 0.3g and all operate on 166.380 Mhz, emitting a coded microburst pulse that allows each individual tag to be instantly identified. Using the coded ID system, the receiver stations do not have to cycle through many different frequencies to locate a tagged animal—and any organism wearing a nanotag can be detected and continually tracked at any receiver station.

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ARTICLES

  • Read about our grant to expand the Motus network in New England.
  • Read about our grant to expand the Motus network in the Mid-Atlantic!
Northeast Motus Collaboration
Motus Tutorial

ABOUT NORTHEAST MOTUS COLLABORATION

OUR NATURE PRESERVES

Our nature preserves are open to the public 365 days per year, providing natural places that offer peace and respite for all. We will keep them open as long as it is safe to do so. While visiting our preserves, please practice social distancing and wear a mask if you encounter another person who will be closer than six feet … Learn more about our nature preserves.

Upcoming Events

22 April

Spring Migration Bird Banding

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22 April

“Love the Land” Stewardship Volunteer Thursdays

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22 April

“Kiss the Ground” Film Discussion: Why Soil Health Matters

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DONATE TODAY!

The Trust's holistic approach to land conservation, with a focus on the connections among land, farm, birds, and water, protects native habitat and provides open space for our earth to heal. Please help the Trust continue to preserve our natural world for all  generations and consider making an impactful donation … Donate Today

CONTACT

925 Providence Road
Newtown Square, PA 19073
(610) 353-2562
land@wctrust.org

OUR STORY

Willistown Conservation Trust's mission is to: "preserve and manage the open land, rural character, … read more

WHERE WE WORK

The work of the Willistown Conservation Trust is concentrated on 28,000 acres of Willistown Township … read more

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