Introduction

• Goal: Research the location, demographics, and behaviors of squirrels in Central Park, NYC.
• Data Source: The Squirrel Census.
• Key Questions:
  1. Where are squirrels most concentrated?
  2. What are their primary fur colors?
  3. How do movement patterns differ between AM/PM?
  4. Common activities?
  5. Unique behaviors?

Squirrel Highways

Methodology

• Exploratory Questions:
  1. Concentration patterns.
  2. Fur color distribution.
  3. Movement by time of day.
  4. Activity distributions.
  5. Unique behaviors.
• Approach:
  • Interactive heatmaps for spatial data.
  • Bar charts for categorical data.
  • Observational insights.

Squirrel Concentration Patterns

Squirrel Concentration Patterns

• Insights:
  • High concentrations in north and south Central Park.
  • Few squirrels in forested regions and water bodies.
  • Future Idea: Use GPS tagging for detailed tracking.

Fur Color Distribution

Fur Color Distribution

• Insights:
  • Majority are gray squirrels (~2500).
  • Cinnamon and black varieties are rarer.
  • No white squirrels observed.

Movement Patterns (AM vs. PM)

Movement Patterns (AM vs. PM)

• Insights:
  • Squirrels more active in the PM.
  • AM sightings clustered near water bodies.

Common Activities

Common Activities

Common Activities

Unique Behaviors

• Interesting Observations:
  • Squirrels fighting pigeons.
  • Hanging upside down while eating.
  • Interaction with humans (e.g., eating food thrown at them).
• Future Work:
  • Map unique occurrences with descriptions.
  • Explore word cloud visualization for qualitative data.

Conclusion

• Key Takeaways:
  • Central Park’s squirrel population is diverse and concentrated in specific areas.
  • Behavioral patterns vary by time and activity.
  • Unique dataset with potential for deeper analysis.
• Challenges Overcome:
  • Customizing visualizations.
  • Representing unique data fields effectively.