Moose of the Adirondacks

The Adirondacks

New York State holds the largest area of protected wilderness within the contiguous United States. This area is known as the Adirondack Park.

Comprised of over 6 million acres, half of which are publicly owned and protected, the park is an oasis for wildlife and the 12.4 million tourists who visit each year (About the Adirondack Park, n.d.).

The Adirondack wilderness is made up of varying habitats, allowing for rich biodiversity across plant and animal species. For this research, our species of interest was the moose.

Although moose are present in the Adirondacks today, their population was once extirpated from the Park.

In the late 19th century, due to destructive logging practices and poor hunting regulations, moose were no longer present throughout New York State (Adirondack Moose - facts about the region’s iconic animal, 2021)

However, in the 1980's the moose naturally returned!

As previously mentioned, the Adirondacks are vast.

An "all hands on deck" approach to studying moose could greatly benefit the New York Moose Project.

Footpaths offer a unique opportunity for citizens science research. With 12 million tourists visiting the Adirondacks each year, and over 2,000 miles of hiking trails in the park, researchers have an opportunity to gather additional documentation of moose occurrences, demographics, and behaviors.

Over half of the 2,000+ hiking trails in the park are managed by the DEC

What DEC Trails intersect with suitable moose habitat in Hamilton County?

Our study indicates great opportunity to supplement current moose research with citizens science

A closer look at the process...

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