CITIZEN SCIENTISTS TRACK APEX PREDATOR: MULTI-YEAR WILDLIFE STUDY IN SWEDEN YIELDS RECORD DATA AMID INTENSIFYING PRESSURE ON BROWN BEARS
Update from our brown bear conservation expedition in Dalarna, Sweden
Non-profit wildlife conservation organisation Biosphere Expeditions has successfully concluded its 2026 brown bear research field season in the forests of Dalarna county, Sweden. Working alongside bear scientist Dr. Andrea Friebe of the Scandinavian Brown Bear Research Project, an international team of volunteer citizen scientists generated critical telemetry, behavioural and dietary data tracking the region’s Scandinavian brown bear (Ursus arctos) population.
The 2026 expedition operated against a backdrop of increasing ecological tension, following a historic and highly controversial large-scale government cull during the previous hunting season. Despite a reduced regional bear density, the 2026 team completed an unprecedented sweeping survey of the study site, documenting a record-breaking 46 winter dens and successfully recovering months of localised data from deep-winter temperature loggers and remote camera traps.
Unlocking the “First Scat” Mystery
Among the most critical biological discoveries of the 2026 season was the collection of 16 “first scats.” In bear biology, a first scat is the very first bowel movement excreted by a brown bear immediately upon emerging from its winter hibernation.
These specific samples are highly prized by conservation geneticists for two reasons:
Pristine DNA Preservation: Unlike standard summer scat, which degrades rapidly from environmental exposure and insects, first scat has remained protected inside the bear or the cold den. It yields exceptionally high-quality, un-degraded DNA profiles that allow researchers to identify individual bears with pinpoint accuracy.
Dietary Micro-Baselines: Analysing the cellular makeup of first scat provides scientists with an exact window into what a bear consumes the literal moment it wakes up, mapping shifting foraging behaviors as spring climates mutate.
A multi-Year Conservation Effort
The output of the 2026 brown bear research team marks a steady operational evolution for Biosphere Expeditions in Sweden. For perspective:
2024 Season: Volunteers located and surveyed 27 dens, recorded 18 day beds, and collected 56 standard scat samples.
2025 Season: Field operations expanded data modelling despite shifting regional management goals.
2026 Season: Citizen scientists achieved a historic milestone by surveying 100% of the target dens requested by local researchers, shifting excess resources into telemetry triangulation, logger retrieval, and the tracking of predatory GPS clusters.
“The sheer volume of data our citizen scientist extracted this season gives our research partner the hard evidence needed to advocate for balanced management protocols,” said Dr. Matthias Hammer, founder of Biosphere Expeditions. “When human-wildlife conflict peaks, gut feelings cannot be allowed to dictate conservation policies. Citizen science bridges that gap with undeniable numbers.”
Also Read: What Volunteering With Brown Bears in Sweden is Really Like
Picture gallery of the brown bear research expedition:
Feedback from the citizen scientists:
Read also: First I second I third I fourth I fifth I sixth diary entry of the Sweden brown bear conservation expedition . All Sweden 2026 diary entries on one page.
Author: Matthias Hammer
Biosphere Expeditions was founded in 1999 by Dr. Matthias Hammer. Born in Germany, he went to school there, before joining the Army, and serving for several years amongst other units with the German Parachute Regiment. After active service he came to the UK and was educated at St Andrews, Oxford and Cambridge. During his time at university he either organised or was involved in the running of several expeditions, some of which were conservation expeditions (for example to the Brazil Amazon and Madagascar), whilst others were mountaineering/climbing expeditions (for example to the Russian Caucasus, the Alps or the Rocky Mountains). With Biosphere Expeditions he has led teams all over the globe. He is a qualified wilderness medical officer, ski instructor, mountain leader, divemaster and survival skills instructor. Once a rower on the international circuit, an amateur marathon runner and Ironman triathlete, he now enjoys less extreme pursuits such as writing and long-distance walks in the wild.