Hello everybody!

I would like to propose the creation of a Human Dimensions group on WILDLABS.

This idea came out of the social sciences lunch at ICTC 2026 in Lima, where many of us were pleasantly surprised to meet so many other social scientists working in and around conservation technology. As conservation technology continues to mature as a field, human dimensions topics are also becoming increasingly visible in presentations and discussions — for example, how to coordinate and implement projects across institutions, communities, and different stakeholder groups.

A Human Dimensions group could cover a wide range of topics, including:

• Social and institutional challenges in implementing conservation technology projects
• Conservation technology with locally-affected communities
• Social equity and power dynamics
• UX design and environmental human-computer interaction
• Environmental communication
• Policy and management

The group could also create space for discussions across many different scales: from UX design and individual behavior change, to the realities of working with locally affected communities, to implementing technologies across larger institutions, and all the way up to public policy.

There are already several related groups on WILDLABS, and many of them overlap with human dimensions in important ways. However, I think it would be valuable to have a dedicated group that brings together social and human perspectives across these domains. This could help us discuss common challenges across different applications of conservation technology, as well as human dimensions issues that may fall outside the scope of existing groups.

Some related groups include:

• Ethics, which overlaps with human dimensions around power dynamics, social equity, and responsible project implementation
• Training and Education, which is an important part of implementation across institutions
• More application-specific groups, such as Human-Wildlife Coexistence, Ending Wildlife Trafficking Online, Wildlife Crime, Citizen Science, and Sustainable Fishing Challenges

What do you think? I’d love to hear any thoughts or feedback on the idea, the possible structure of the group, or the kinds of topics you would like to discuss.

Also, please speak up if you would be interested in helping as a group organizer — especially with getting the group started and building momentum!