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Shana Hirsch added a new External Link - "Do you believe in eDNA?" to Emerging Tech
Shana Hirsch added a new External Link - "Do you believe in eDNA?" to Emerging Tech
Shana Hirsch added a new Discussion - "Do you believe in eDNA?" to eDNA & Genomics
Shana Hirsch contributed to Organisation - "eDNA Collaborative"
Shana Hirsch added a new Organisation - "eDNA Collaborative"
Shana Hirsch added a new Article - "eDNA Innovation Grants" to eDNA & Genomics
Shana Hirsch added a new External Link - "eDNA Collaborative Microgrants Program!" to eDNA & Genomics
Groups
Group
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- 947
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- Latest Discussion
- Loaning Bioacoustics Recorders
Acoustic is one of our biggest and most active groups, with members collecting, analysing, and interpreting acoustic data from across species, ecosystems, and applications, from animal vocalizations to sounds from our natural and built environment.
- Latest Resource
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- Open-Source Solutions for Amphibian Passive Acoustic Monitoring: Lessons from Patagonia
Monitoring amphibians across the temperate forests of Patagonia presents significant logistical and technical challenges. Remote locations, harsh environmental conditions, and the large volumes of data generated by Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) can make long-term biodiversity surveys difficult to implement and maintain. In addition, environmental data often relies on multiple independent devices, increasing costs, complexity, and logistical demands in remote field conditions. Through the WILDLABS Awards 2025, our team explored practical ways to address these challenges by combining open-source hardware, environmental sensing, and AI-assisted acoustic analysis.
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- 405
- 431
- 36
- Latest Discussion
- Custom Hydrophone Records Dolphins
Welcome to the official group forum for our virtual course, Build Your Own Data Logger. This is your space to engage with course instructors Akiba and Jacinta from Freaklabs, find help and resources for each module, collaborate and chat with your fellow course participants, and share your progress on your own Data Logger project!
- Latest Resource
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- Open-Source Solutions for Amphibian Passive Acoustic Monitoring: Lessons from Patagonia
Monitoring amphibians across the temperate forests of Patagonia presents significant logistical and technical challenges. Remote locations, harsh environmental conditions, and the large volumes of data generated by Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) can make long-term biodiversity surveys difficult to implement and maintain. In addition, environmental data often relies on multiple independent devices, increasing costs, complexity, and logistical demands in remote field conditions. Through the WILDLABS Awards 2025, our team explored practical ways to address these challenges by combining open-source hardware, environmental sensing, and AI-assisted acoustic analysis.
Group
- Group Stats
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- 391
- 431
- 178
- Latest Discussion
- The Climate Change AI Virtual Summer School 2026!
There are educators everywhere working to teach and train the next generation of sustainability minded students. Whether in formal settings (K-12, undergraduate, graduate) settings or informally as science communication now it is more important than ever to work towards advancing Conservation Tech education. By working on interdisciplinary teams we can help develop teaching and training tools to help expand the field of Conservation Technology creation.
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- Upcoming Learning Session July15: “Wildlife Tracking for Connection”
Join us for our 15th learning session on Wednesday, July 15 at 6 pm CEST | 5 pm BST | 12 pm EDT | 9 am PDT | 9:30 pm IST (Co-creation with the More-than-Human sandbox) Register on EventBrite (free, 1 hr): https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/wildlife-tracking-for-connection-learning-session-tickets-1992174556727?aff=oddtdtcreator
Group
- Group Stats
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- 267
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- Latest Discussion
- Engineer Searching for Biologists
The eDNA & Genomics Group focuses on advancing biodiversity monitoring, species detection, and ecological research using environmental DNA (eDNA) and genomics technologies. Our members are engaged in the collection, sequencing, and analysis of DNA from environmental samples—such as soil, water, and feces—to detect species presence, assess genetic diversity, and study population structure without the need for direct observation or capture.
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- Assessing Critical Habitats Using Environmental DNA to Conserve the World’s Rarest Heron- White-bellied Heron Ardea insignis
The White-bellied Heron (Ardea insignis) is the world's rarest heron, with only about 60 individuals remaining globally. Bhutan holds nearly half of the remaining population, making conservation efforts within the country crucial to the species' survival. As part of my PhD research at Texas State University, I have been working to better understand the ecology, habitat suitability, and conservation needs of this critically endangered species. I employ an interdisciplinary approach that integrates field ecology, environmental DNA (eDNA) and portable genomics technologies to improve biodiversity monitoring and conservation planning for White-bellied Heron in Bhutan. Unlike traditional monitoring approaches that rely solely on direct observations, eDNA allows researchers to detect biodiversity from traces of genetic material left behind in the environment. The WILDLABS Award provided an exciting opportunity not only to advance research but also to demonstrate how emerging conservation technologies can be applied in remote landscapes while building local capacity for conservation genetics. Through this project, we sought to explore how portable molecular tools can support conservation decision-making while making advanced genetic technologies more accessible to researchers and practitioners in Bhutan.
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- 433
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- Latest Discussion
- Engineer Searching for Biologists
Bringing together many of our community's tech types like bioacoustics, biologging, drones, remote sensing, machine learning, and more, the Marine Conservation group is a meeting point to begin innovative collaborations and answer difficult questions.
🌍 Conservation technology is transforming how we protect wildlife, but are we thinking carefully enough about the risks? Drones, camera traps, GPS trackers, acoustic sensors, AI, and remote sensing have become essential tools for conservation practitioners around the world. They help us monitor species, detect threats, and respond faster than ever before. But these same technologies can also introduce unintended risks, and in some cases, can be exploited by those seeking to harm the very wildlife we're trying to protect. 🦏 Input now and/or join the discussions/research.
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This group is for anyone interested in open source technologies for ecology and conservation. We welcome contributions from both makers and users, whether active or prospective. Here, we believe that open source hardware, software, and data are key to conducting both rigorous and honorable science and research. It is a place to share novel or existing technologies, exchange resources, discuss new projects, ask for advice, find collaborators, advocate for adopting open source technologies, and share strategies for making them sustainable. Open Source Solutions naturally overlaps with existing WILDLABS groups, and we aim to embrace this overlap while maintaining our unique space for growth of Open Source Solutions as a priority in conservation science.
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- BAM (Biodiversity Around Me) widget
I am happy to introduce and share our new project BAM, to make open biodiversity data easily accessible to everyone, everywhere!
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- 523
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- Latest Discussion
- Getting behavioral data out of datasets that weren't built for it
Want to talk about sensors that don't quite fit into any of our tech-specific groups? This is the place to post! From temperature and humidity to airflow and pressure sensors, there are many environmental sensing tools that can add valuable data to core conservation monitoring technologies. With the increasing availability of low-cost, open-source options, we've seen growing interest in integrating these kinds of low bandwidth sensors into existing tools. What kinds of sensors are you working with?
🌍 Conservation technology is transforming how we protect wildlife, but are we thinking carefully enough about the risks? Drones, camera traps, GPS trackers, acoustic sensors, AI, and remote sensing have become essential tools for conservation practitioners around the world. They help us monitor species, detect threats, and respond faster than ever before. But these same technologies can also introduce unintended risks, and in some cases, can be exploited by those seeking to harm the very wildlife we're trying to protect. 🦏 Input now and/or join the discussions/research.
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The WILDLABS Community Base is the ideal place to get oriented with the all that our community platform offers, hear about news and opportunities, and to meet new friends and collaborators.
- Latest Resource
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- Announcing the WILDLABS Awards 2026 Grantees
Learn about the 16 selected projects that are working to innovate, scale, and adopt conservation technology for this year’s WILDLABS Awards.
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Shana Hirsch's Content
Funding
NEW! eDNA Collaborative 2025 Microgrant
Shana Hirsch
Funding for low-cost DIY Fluorometers by DIYNAFLUOR
15 October 2025
Link
Do you believe in eDNA?
Shana Hirsch
To better understand peoples' trust in environmental DNA (eDNA) methods and data, the eDNA Collaborative is conducting a (very) brief survey. We are especially interested in perspectives from scientists and managers,...
28 August 2025
Discussion
Do you believe in eDNA?
Shana Hirsch
To better understand peoples' trust in environmental DNA (eDNA) methods and data, the eDNA Collaborative is conducting a (very) brief ...
28 August 2025
Article
eDNA Innovation Grants
Shana Hirsch
eDNA Collaborative and Experiment Partner to Provide $80K in Grants--Apply Now!
9 February 2024
Link
eDNA Collaborative Microgrants Program!
Shana Hirsch
This round of microgrants will be awarded in collaboration with miniPCR bio, and each microgrant award will consist of a mini16x thermal cycler, a blueGel electrophoresis system with USB power adaptor, one pipette, and...
2 December 2023
Organisation
We aim to broaden the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) for environmental management and conservation, aiming to accelerate the move of these techniques out of the lab and into routine practice.
Shana Hirsch commented on "Exploring Ocean Biodiversity: A Multimodal Data Project Focused on the Humboldt Current"