Equipment Lending Opportunities
Purchasing equipment can be costly for a citizen-based monitoring project. As a result, many projects try to
borrow equipment whenever possible, especially when it comes to items that are only needed temporarily.
Some equipment is easier to come by than others. Tools for constructing a bat house or installing an
educational sign by your monitoring site can often be borrowed from volunteers, project staff, or a local
tool lending library. If you’re doing work along roadsides, check with your county's highway department;
they might have safety equipment you can borrow. For monitoring-specific equipment, check out the list below
or ask staff at local nature centers, colleges, and universities.
Bird Monitoring Kits
Wisconsin Society for Ornithology and Wisconsin Bird Conservation Initiative: Kits are available
at 40 locations statewide and contain binoculars, a spotting scope, field guides, and more. For students and educators.
CBM Equipment Lending Library
Wisconsin DNR: The WIDNR's Citizen-based Monitoring Program lends equipment like small mammal traps,
flagging tape, spring scales, and more.
GPS units
Members of the WCBM Network: The Invasive Plants Association of Wisconsin (IPAW) maintains
a list of organizations that lend GPS units.
Invasive Plant Monitoring Kits
Wisconsin Headwaters Invasives Partnership: Groups in the Rhinelander area can borrow kits that
include tablets equipped with plant identification information and reporting applications.
Digital Observation
Technology Skills kits (DOTS)
University of Wisconsin Extension: Educators can receive training and check out kits containing
GPS units, microscope, trail camera, lesson plans, and more.
Do you know of an equipment lending program that isn't on our list? Let us know!
