Tucson Electric Power promoted environmental stewardship by supporting the installation of small solar panels to power wildlife cameras that help track and protect desert animals.

Our $5,000 donation helped the Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection purchase about 30 solar panels to power remote cameras in the Tucson-Tortolita Mountains wildlife corridor. TEP volunteers helped install eight solar panels over the past few weeks. The rest will be installed by the coalition and other volunteers by the end of the year.

Since cameras were first installed in 2012, the group has captured hundreds of thousands of photos of Sonoran Desert wildlife. These have included mountain lions, desert tortoises, badgers, Gila monsters, white-nose coati, coyotes, javelinas, bobcats, gray foxes, and mule deer. Recently, cameras even documented kit foxes.

The cameras help gather data about the current state of wildlife territories and diversity, without disturbing the animals.

The coalition manages about 60 cameras throughout Pima County that monitor wildlife activity for research and protection. Each month, coalition representatives must go out to each camera to change batteries and take out the photo card.

With the new solar panels, the cameras will have rechargeable batteries, cutting down on the battery waste.

The remaining cameras are in locations that aren’t suitable for the solar panels.

“What this will do is make our research more sustainable and cheaper,” Jessica Moreno, the coalition’s Conservation Science Director. “TEP’s investment will help this project be even more environmentally friendly in the long term. As a conservation nonprofit, that’s a priority for us.”

Learn more about the camera project and follow @sonorandesertprotection to see current wildlife camera photos.