As part of my senior honors thesis at UC Berkeley, I worked in the lab of Dr. Christopher Schell studying how animals utilize urban green spaces. Specifically, I analyzed how the physical characteristics of urban green spaces, as well as the socioeconomic status of the surrounding area, influence wildlife occupancy of the East Bay of California.

I utilized a camera trap grid that was part of the Urban Wildlife Information Network to determine what species were inhabiting various green spaces across the East Bay. I determined that the most common species in these spaces were raccoons (Procyon lotor), coyotes (Canis latrans), black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus), and fox squirrels (Sciurus niger). I analyzed their detection and occupancy probabilities across green spaces and found that green space size influenced detection of all four species.

As urbanization increases, wildlife and humans in cities are forced to coexist, with green spaces being some of the only habitat for many species. By understanding what influences wildlife occupancy of green spaces, urban planners can better design cities that allow peaceful and sustainable coexistence between people and wildlife.