General Information
The Motus Wildlife Tracking System has revolutionized how we record animal movements in nature. Powdermill Avian Research Center, as part of the Northeast Motus Collaboration, hosts both in-person and virtual workshops for those interested in learning more about using the Motus Wildlife Tracking System.
In-person Motus Workshops are hosted at Powdermill Nature Reserve in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains of Southwestern Pennsylvania. During this workshop, we will discuss various aspects of the Motus Wildlife Tracking System such as installing Motus receiver stations, data management and analysis, and attaching transmitters. Participants will have the opportunity to visit multiple active Motus stations and gain hands-on experience attaching transmitters to live birds for those permitted to band songbirds. Registration includes two days of instruction, shared housing, and several meals. We offer a discounted registration rate for early professionals, students, Latin Americans working in Latin America, and attendees of virtual workshops. If you wish to stay elsewhere, standard accommodations are available at several nearby hotels. Participants will be responsible for their own transportation.
Virtual workshops are hosted online through Microsoft Teams and consist of two four-hour days of instruction covering similar lecture topics as in-person workshops.
OUR NEXT MOTUS WORKSHOP:
Powdermill Avian Research Center is pleased to announce it will be hosting an in-person Motus workshop beginning 6 PM Wednesday, May 13th and ending 4 PM Friday, May 15th, 2026. The workshop will be held at Powdermill Nature Reserve, the field station of Carnegie Museum of Natural History, located in the beautiful mountains of Western Pennsylvania. This workshop is aimed towards researchers, educators, students, and others that are interested in learning more about using the Motus Wildlife Tracking System. Participants will have the opportunity to visit multiple active Motus stations and gain hands-on experience attaching transmitters to live birds (for participants sub-permitted to band birds). Presentations will focus on techniques for installing and maintaining Motus receiver stations, project planning, transmitters, and data management and analysis.
Workshop registration is $600 for professionals and $350 for early professionals, students, Latin Americans working in Latin America, and anyone who has attended our previous Virtual workshop.
To pre register or be added to the waitlist for our next available workshop, please email Jonathan Rice, Jon Rice.
What to Expect from an In-Person Workshop
In-person workshop activities begin at 6:00 PM with a catered dinner. An introductory presentation on Motus and an outline of the workshop will take place following dinner, with time to socialize afterward. The first morning will begin with observing transmitters being affixed to birds, followed by hands on activities with antennas, receivers, and other station components. Later in the morning, we will shift to technical lectures on transmitters and various aspects of installing Motus receiver stations (planning, equipment, techniques, etc.) with time allotted for questions and discussion. After lectures we will review techniques for installing stations with a hands-on group activity examining the construction of a station. We will end the day by taking a field trip to an active Motus station. On Saturday morning, participants will have the option to observe nanotagging again. This will be followed by more technical lectures before another catered lunch. We will end the workshop with more hands-on activities wiring together power supply components, receiver units, and troubleshooting an active Motus station.
About the area
Powdermill Nature Reserve is somewhat remote and sits in the valley between two ridges with a lot of surrounding state park and forest lands (i.e., lots of opportunities for hiking, exploring, etc.). If you wish to extend your stay before or after the workshop, places worth visiting include Linn Run State Park (4 mi), Forbes State Forest (5 mi), Laurel Summit State Park (10 mi), Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater (25 mi), and Ohiopyle/Ohiopyle State Park (30 mi). Brenda’s Deli and Market in Rector (3 mi) is the closest place for a few essentials or delicious deli sandwich. Ligonier, about 8 miles away, is the closest town and has plenty of shopping, restaurants, and a grocery store. A short drive farther west on Route 30 (~15 minutes) will take you to Latrobe, the closest city with large shopping centers and medical facilities.
What to pack
- Layers (warm/hot days can start with considerably cold mornings)
- Sleeping bag or sheets, pillowcase, blankets, towels and washcloths (the cabins do not come with linens)
- Soap and personal items
- Boots and rain gear – come prepared for the weather and walking/working outside
- Notebook and pen/pencil
- Water bottle
- Drinking water (OPTIONAL – tap water is tested and good to drink, but smells a bit metallic)
Still have questions?
Please read through the FAQs below. If you can’t find your answer there, please email our Workshop Coordinator, Jonathan Rice at ricej@carnegiemnh.org.
MOTUS Workshop FAQs
Pre-register for our next workshop by emailing Jonathan Rice – ricej@carnegiemnh.org
Workshop registration is $600. We offer a discounted rate of $350 for early professionals, students, and Latin Americans working in Latin America. If you wish to stay elsewhere, standard accommodations are available at several nearby hotels. Participants will be responsible for their own transportation.
Virtual workshops are hosted online through Microsoft Teams and consist of two four-hour days of instruction covering similar lecture topics as in-person workshops. Registration for this workshop costs $250 per person. We offer a discounted rate of $150 for early professionals, students, and Latin Americans working in Latin America.
Instruction during workshop, shared housing, food, and resource access after the workshop has concluded.
Lodging is in a house or cabin on Powdermill property. Participants may be required to share bedrooms with one another, but there will be individual beds for everyone. Participants will need to bring linens. Facilities include a common living area and a kitchen.
Space is limited; therefore, priority will be given to those who sign up first.
Payment is due when you purchase your ticket.
If you are not able to attend due to unforeseen circumstances, we will refund your money in full if we are able to find another participant to take your place. In the event that we cannot find a replacement, we will refund half of your payment under reasonable extenuating circumstances.
Yes. If tickets for the workshop are sold out, email Jonathan Rice at ricej@carnegiemnh.org to be put on a waiting list. Folks on our waiting list are given advanced notice of the next workshop and first access to ticket sales.
Jonathan Rice, Urban Bird Conservation Coordinator, Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Mallory Sarver, Field Assistant, Powdermill Nature Reserve
Lucas DeGroote, Avian Conservation Scientist, Powdermill Avian Research Center
There is wireless internet in the lodging, nature center, and at the Avian Research Center.
There is very little cell phone reception on the reserve, but you can connect by driving a short distance (~1 mile) away. The phones in the cabins make local calls only; you may want to bring a calling card if you wish to use the cabin phone for calls out of the area.
No, sorry. Space is very limited and thus only parties interested in utilizing Motus technology are expected to attend the workshop.