A recent investment from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation will allow for the expansion of an international bird, bat, and insect tracking system.

The Motus Wildlife Tracking System includes almost 2,000 receiver towers across 34 countries which track tagged animals as they travel, giving a glimpse into their migratory patterns.

This $3.1 million investment will help build new towers, upgrade the system’s capabilities, and fill in gaps across Western Canada and other countries.

Stuart Mackenize, director of strategic assets with Birds Canada, says the investment will ensure that “we have more scientific evidence available to inform conservation decisions.”

Dr. Christy Morrissey at the University of Saskatchewan is one of the two co-principal investigators on the Motus project. She says she aims to direct the expansion of Motus further west to broaden the scope of coverage the system has.