What I Do: Steven Hammerich, wildlife watcher

When Steven Hammerich arrives at the office, he’s prepared to share his day with individuals intent on marking territory, hunting prey or crossing terrain that is far from the public eye.

As a wildlife camera technician with North America’s first Wildlife Picture Index research project, Hammerich gets paid to study thousands of photographs taken by strategically placed, motion-activated wildlife cameras at Pepperwood Preserve and three other Sonoma County locations. Results will ultimately be used to guide land management, preservation and conservation decisions.

Hammerich, 50, also coordinates a group of volunteer “citizen scientists” who help him process the images at Pepperwood. The 3,120-acre nature preserve in northeast Santa Rosa celebrates its 10th anniversary with an open house on Sunday, April 26.

The Piner High School and Santa Rosa Junior College graduate works part-time for the preserve while studying full-time at Sonoma State University. He plans to graduate next year with a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies conservation and restoration, with a minor in biology.

Q: What does your work with the Wildlife Picture Index entail?

Every six weeks I check cameras and replace batteries and gather data that I upload into a database. There are 20 wildlife cameras at Pepperwood, 21 at Modini Mayacamas Preserves in Healdsburg, 32 on Sonoma Mountain and more with Sonoma Land Trust.

I look through thousands of pictures. I catalog and identify wildlife genus and species. We like to see that all species are present, from the largest to the smallest. They’re all really important.

Q: The ongoing study is in its third year. Can you share something you’ve noted thus far?

That animals coexist in the same habitat. One animal comes and marks their territory, and another comes and also marks that area. It’s kind of continuous.

Q: Which animals have been identified?

We have black bears and mountain lions and coyotes and foxes and skunks and all the smaller ones you’d expect. It’s interesting to see all the species and also to see animal behavior, how they’re acting and interacting.

Q: Which animal is most commonly spotted?

Deer. Lots of deer.

Q: Any surprises?

Porcupines. It’s rare to see them. It just hasn’t happened a lot.

Q: Do you have a favorite?

Bears. It’s just the fact they’re still around.

Q: What are you looking for?

In addition to climate change concerns, there is the concern over habitat fragmentation, when land is broken up through development, agriculture and commercial uses that then reduces and disconnects wildlife habitat.

Q: What drew you to this field?

I credit SRJC instructors Kasey Wade of the natural resource management department and Shawn Brumbaugh of the biology department for introducing me to Pepperwood Preserve. I was introduced through school in 2010 and within a couple of months I began volunteering, doing trail work and invasive weed management. I became a Pepperwood Steward and started working with the Wildlife Picture Index.

Q: Do you have a background in ecology?

It’s not my background. I was in construction for 14 years and had a work-related injury. I was in service station maintenance for about five years.

Q: What’s your ideal job?

I hope that I’m doing it right now. It’s a dream job. I want to continue monitoring wildlife and continue my studies. It’s a challenge to be a student at 50.

“What I Do” is an occasional series that profiles Sonoma County people and their jobs.