discussion / AI for Conservation  / 1 September 2023

Where to start in ct ?

Currently studying a 'diploma of conservation and ecosystem management' at TAFE NSW Australia and am enjoying it thoroughly. I love the prospect of working in the conservation tech industry, I find it all very interesting, however I have very little knowledge on the tech side of things and don't know where to start. Seeing all these big words and advanced technologies being thrown around in discussions is all very daunting. Can anybody point me in a direction? e.g should I learn more about machine learning? Data analysis? Sensors? Drones? etc. Thanks.




Akiba
@Freaklabs
Freaklabs
I'm an engineer and product designer working on wildlife conservation technology.
Group Curator
WILDLABS Event Speaker
WILDLABS Author

Hi Lucas. 

I can understand that there are a lot of technologies being thrown around and it can be confusing about what is really needed. I recommend to first select an area of conservation you want to focus in, ie: ecological restoration, soil conservation, wildlife management, etc. Based on that decision, look at what technologies are available that can potential help in that field. We do a lot of work in ecological restoration and find that long term, longitudinal monitoring of conservation reserves are important. Because of that, we use a lot of datalogging and wireless communications to monitor remote locations. If you're interested in invasive species management, you might be drawn towards wildlife tracking (movement ecology), trap monitoring, drones, etc. 

The technology is a tool, and you should look at it like field gear. The gear will change depending on what you're setting out to do and the tool is supposed to make your life easier, not harder :)

Hope that helps.

Akiba