The Forestry Officers and Data Managers from the different Parks and Territory Divisions, attended a two days training workshop on camera trap data organization and analysis at the Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Conservation and Environment (UWICE) on 24th and 25th January, 2014. This training of trainers will develop expertise among forestry officers and data managers in the use of this dedicated camera trapping software.

Dr. Jim Sanderson, the developer of the software delivered the training workshop. Dr. Sanderson is the founder and director of the Small Wild Cat Conservation Foundation and is on the review board of the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, an international funding agency. He is a world recognized expert on small wild cats and a landscape ecologist as well. The identification of Dr, Sanderson to deliver the training workshop was facilitated by the University of New England (UNE) from Australia which recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UWICE. This MoU covers collaborative teaching, training and the development of research initiatives between the two institutions. The workshop was also attended by Associate Professor Karl Vernes and Dr. Raj Rajaratnam from UNE who also provided some assistance and initiated research discussions between participants and Dr. Sanderson.

The camera trapping software has all the capabilities to extract key parameters from camera trapped pictures, enabling the adequate organisation, storage  and the comprehensive analysis of the data. This training workshop is timely, given that various pertinent national agencies have been intensifying  camera trapping exercises in the country which will generate much data on Bhutan's rich and diverse wildlife. This training was organized also as a preliminary step towards standardising and organising all camera trap data into one server which will act as a central repository  of data on biodiversity in Bhutan. UWICE has now provisioned a dedicated server to store biotic and abiotic data generated from research, long term monitoring and camera trap surveys in the country. Henceforth, UWICE will host an accessible biodiversity data repository in the country. These trainers will then, in turn, be able to train and assist other colleagues in the use of this analysis technique.