08/20/2025
Dear fellow tree monitor enthusiasts,
Colin and Taylor here. We're writing to you about a conservation project we're working on. As part of a greater effort to accurately estimate how many blue tree monitors there are in the wild, we're working with a group developing a computer vision model that will be able to identify individual tree monitors using their patterns.
In order to train this model, we need as many pictures of blue tree monitors as we can. These pictures will never be used for any other purpose. They will never be put onto the internet or anywhere else.
If you'd like to help by donating some pictures, there are several things you can do. The simplest for you would be to just email or text us with permission to use pictures of your blue tree monitors on your social media.
[email protected]
907-717-5098
You could also just email us pictures directly. Or you could upload them using a form on our website, VaranusWatch.weebly.com. The website also has more information about our project and what exactly we hope to do.
If you are interested in helping, the best way to train the model is by showing it at least 5 pictures of each blue tree monitor, from as many angles as possible. Different lighting and backgrounds is not only acceptable, it's preferable, so the model learns to identify them in different settings. Just make sure you label the pictures so we know which monitor is which. Animal A picture 1, animal A picture 2, etc. The higher the definition the better, but all pictures help.
If you have any questions that are not answered on the website, you are welcome to email us at any time, we'd be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Thank you for your time,
Colin and Taylor
