About the Snapshot Initiative
Snapshot Global is a project that, since 2019, has been dedicated to the study of medium and large sized mammals through standardized, collaborative, and long-term monitoring.
Currently, the Snapshot initiative is being carried out in the United States, Japan, and Europe, and starting in 2025, it will also be implemented in Brazil and Chile. To learn more about the Snapshot projects, click here.
What is Snapshot Chile?
The Snapshot Chile Project is a collaborative, countrywide effort to monitor mammal populations using standardized camera trap methods.
The invitation is open to academic institutions, NGOs, foundations, public services, companies, and individuals with experience in camera traps to participate in this major project.
In this first edition, the goal is to gather enough collaborators to cover the widest possible range of ecosystems in Chile, in order to generate nationally representative indicators.
National System of Protected Areas (SNAP) and Snapshot Chile
In the State-protected areas managed by the National Forest Corporation (CONAF), a systematic monitoring program is carried out that includes the use of camera traps in 35 units (national parks, national reserves, and natural monuments)—to date—covering all regions of Chile. This photo-monitoring is conducted once a year and implemented by the park rangers of each unit, with the aim of assessing the status of conservation targets and threats present in each of them. The information obtained is available to the public through the following platform.
At present, there is an alliance between CONAF and the coordinators of the Snapshot Chile project. Thanks to this collaboration, the information on mammals collected across the country through Snapshot Chile will complement and contribute to the work of the public service and its online photo-monitoring platform. Likewise, following the recent creation of the National System of Protected Areas (SNAP) under Law 21.600, the data obtained from monitoring activities in state-managed protected areas under CONAF will become part of the functional dataset of this system and, as a whole, of the Snapshot Chile initiative.
Join us and be part of Snapshot Chile 2025!
Protocol
- Objective: Large-scale study to conduct annual assessments of mammal populations using camera traps distributed throughout the country.
- Sampling period:From October 1 to December 31, 2025, with a margin of two weeks before and after.
- Sampling pointsCamera traps must be installed in at least 15 different locations within the study area. The goal is to reach a minimum of 400 trap-nights.
- Deployment: Cameras must be spaced at a minimum distance of 200 meters and a maximum of 5,000 meters from each other. They should be installed 20 to 50 cm above the ground and oriented parallel to the slope.
- Equipment: Use camera models with a trigger speed of 0.5 seconds or less and infrared capability.
- Do not record videos, and do not use hybrid mode (photo and video).
- Bait: No type of bait or other scent attractants is allowed.
The detailed protocol instructions can be found here:
ProtocolSignup
Before signup, it is important to read the protocol guidelines carefully and comply with them. Otherwise, participation may be declined.
To participate in Snapshot Chile 2025, you must register using the following form, and we will contact you shortly:
Confirmed sites
In this interactive map, you can see the sites that have joined the Snapshot Chile 2025 initiative and that are not part of CONAF’s systematic monitoring program. As new teams confirm their participation, their locations will be added here, showcasing the growth and reach of this collaborative effort at the national level. We invite you to check back regularly to explore how this network continues to expand across Chile.
Coordinated by
Governance Partnership Network
Associated Laboratories and Projects
Contact
- If you have any questions about Snapshot Chile, please contact us at the following email, and we will respond as soon as possible.
- contacto@snapshot-chile.com
