Earthwatch

In the summer of 2014, I participated in a citizen science field research project called Wildlife in the Changing French Pyrenees. Led by Dr. Bernat Claramunt-López, a field ecologist affiliated with the Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (CREAF) in Catalonia, the project aimed to investigate how climate change and land-use shifts are altering high-elevation ecosystems in the French Pyrenees—a region that, until recently, had received relatively little long-term ecological study compared to the neighboring Alps.

The primary objective of this long-term ecological monitoring initiative was to determine whether changing climatic conditions and anthropogenic pressures were affecting the types of species found together (i.e. community assemblages) in alpine habitats. A central focus of the study was the role of the brown bear, which had been extirpated from France in 2011 and subsequently reintroduced. By 2014, five bears had been reintroduced into the region. Their presence had significant ecological and political implications, influencing wildlife management practices, species interactions, and community perceptions of large carnivores.

In addition to species-level effects, the research also explored the consequences of land abandonment and agricultural decline, as many former farmlands in the region were undergoing natural reforestation. Understanding how these successional processes affected biodiversity and ecosystem structure was central to the project’s aims.

Our work was organized around alternating long and short “itineraries,” each involving a range of ecological monitoring techniques across five dominant habitat types in the Pyrenees.

Long Itineraries:

Days with long itineraries involved extensive hikes through steep, mountainous terrain to access remote monitoring locations. Our tasks included locating and servicing wildlife camera traps—replacing batteries, downloading image data from SD cards, and rebaiting the cameras to optimize species detection. We also conducted species inventories at designated listening stations, where we recorded all auditory and visual observations of birds and mammals during timed, silent intervals. These data contributed to the project’s efforts to track changes in phenology, migration patterns, and species abundance.

 

Short Itineraries:

Short itinerary days focused on a range of ecological monitoring activities in lower-elevation or more accessible areas. We checked live traps set for small mammals such as mice and voles, tagged and recorded any captured individuals, and then safely released them. We also conducted vegetation surveys using forest plot methods, identifying tree species, measuring their diameter at breast height (DBH), and cataloging shrubs and regenerating trees to monitor forest dynamics. In addition, we inspected nest boxes installed in earlier phases of the project, checking for occupancy, nesting activity, and species identification of cavity-nesting birds. We also carried out surveys of plant-pollinator interactions, identifying both the pollinator species and the host plants on which they landed, contributing to a deeper understanding of mutualistic relationships in a changing alpine environment.

This experience enhanced my observational and analytical skills in the field, as well as my ability to contribute meaningfully to structured ecological surveys. It also strengthened my appreciation for the value of meticulous data collection and team-based research in advancing our understanding of complex environmental changes. 

Equally valuable were the ecological insights I gained into how species reintroductions, climate-driven range shifts, and land-use change interact to reshape ecosystem structure and function. I observed firsthand how large carnivore recovery—in this case, the brown bear—can serve as both an ecological driver and a social flashpoint, influencing policy, land management, and local community dynamics.

By contributing to a longitudinal data set that informed conservation decision-making in an under-studied European mountain range, this project allowed me to engage meaningfully in applied conservation science, reinforcing my commitment to supporting research that bridges the gap between science, society, and sustainability.