Scalable solutions for environmental sensors
We support effective biodiversity monitoring and research through science-based study designs, high-quality data processing, and open data and collaboration. We actively contribute to the development of standardized, shared protocols and data management practices.
From ideation to implementation
Unlock the full potential of environmental sensors. From equipment selection to program design and data management, our team specializes in crafting customized solutions that align with your goals. We have extensive experience in getting environmental sensor programs off the ground, working with a range of people and organizations with goals large and small.
Innovative solutions for big data
We are passionate about advancing the science behind the use of environmental sensors. Our philosophy is to offer and use tools accessible by anyone, anywhere, to increase the efficiency of data processing and facilitate data sharing while improving the tools for all users. Our preferred tool is WildTrax, an online platform for managing, storing, processing, sharing, and discovering data from environmental sensors.
Standards for seamless sharing
Whether in the field protocols used or the way data is processed, we support the standardization and centralization of environmental sensor data. The use of the online platform WildTrax supports this aim, as does our participation in regional communities of practice. We want environmental sensor data to have the greatest possible impact.
Communities of practice
We seek to build strong partnerships to advance the science of biodiversity monitoring. Biodiversity monitoring is improved by collaboration, be it through sharing data, equipment, or best practices and lessons learned. We participate in regional communities of practice that develop and promote standards for data collection.
Meet the faces of SENSR
Our team consists of scientists with extensive experience in environmental data collection and management, protocol development, and software applications.
Erin Bayne
Academic Director
Erin is a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta. As academic director of SENSR and the Boreal Avian Modelling Centre, and co-director of the Science Centre at the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute, he facilitates interactions between academics, the ABMI, government, and industry. His research focuses on how biodiversity is impacted by human activities with the goal of seeking ways to minimize impacts. Most recently he has focused on using environmental sensors, such as ARUs and cameras, and data integration to answer large-scale conservation and macroecology questions by directing development of the WildTrax platform. While he does not have a particular taxonomic focus, he is best known for the development of tools that help us understand the behavioural, population, and community dynamics of birds at various spatial and temporal scales.
Alex MacPhail
Director
Alex has over 15 years of experience in wildlife ecology, specializing in large-scale data management from environmental sensors used for species monitoring. His current work focuses on leveraging big data to develop software and data management solutions that advance species conservation and inform decision-making. Since 2018, Alex has led acoustic sensor operations and development for WildTrax at the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute, helping to build a large and now international environmental monitoring platform.
Cami Hurtado
NNW Bat Hub Coordinator
Cami first got involved with bats six years ago conducting summer roost counts for the Alberta Community Bat Program. Since then, she has immersed herself in the world of bats, pursuing a Master’s degree at the University of Alberta. Her research focuses on exploring how latitudes and varying light levels impact bat activity patterns, aiming to unravel how nocturnal species live in environments with no true darkness. Cami started with the ABMI working as a Biodiversity Program coordinator, supporting diverse projects within the organization. She became the full-time North by Northwest (NNW) Bat Hub Coordinator for SENSR in 2024.
Jack Creeggan
Research Coordinator
Jack serves as Research Coordinator supporting SENSR’s remote camera services. Jack recently completed his MSc in Geography, Planning, and Environment at Concordia University, where his research focused on the spatial cohesion of endangered blond capuchin monkeys in Brazil, combining fieldwork, statistical modeling, and data analysis.
Kevin Kelly
Acoustic Technologist
Kevin grew up in British Columbia, where he developed a love for wildlife and the outdoors. He followed those interests into a career studying birds that took him across North America: from getting a master’s degree studying puffins in the Maritimes to researching eiders in the Canadian Arctic to monitoring spotted owls in California (and a lot more in-between). He brings his varied field and research background to the SENSR team to help develop new tools and strategies in the exciting field of bioacoustics.
Martin Hinojosa
Acoustic Technologist
Martin began working with SENSR and the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute as a sustainability scholar through the University of Alberta, in collaboration with the Edmonton Valley Zoo, where his work focused on urban noise and biodiversity monitoring in Edmonton. He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree, focused on invasive ecology. He holds a degree in Environmental Engineering from the Ikiam University in Ecuador, where he developed a background in wildlife ecology through research on tropical forest systems, including bat seed dispersal in the Amazon region. Through his work, he aims to contribute to applied conservation strategies that inform land management and urban planning
Victoria Berg
Data Management Technician
Victoria was introduced to bioacoustics through an undergraduate research project studying the effects of light pollution on Edmonton’s urban bats. After graduating with a BSc in Environmental and Conservation Sciences from the University of Alberta, she continued in environmental sensor research, joining the SENSR team as a Data Management Technician.
Want to join the team?
See our current opportunities
A Biodiversity Pathways Initiative
SENSR is part of Biodiversity Pathways, a value-neutral non-profit that develops scientifically credible monitoring programs in Canada.
biodiversitypathways.ca