Here's a blurb of our idea cut-and-pasted from our application: 

We propose utilising animal detection and alerting technology that Wild Spy has already developed and extensively tested (e.g. wireless identification (WID) technology). The system utilises long-life (5-10+ years) animal-borne WID transmitters as a primary and highly accurate means of detecting individual animals when they come within a predetermined range (from 5m up to 500m). Our versatile data logger/receiver and alerting system can be carried by personnel, outfitted to vehicles, buildings or other infrastructure, or carried by drones/aircraft. Alerts can be immediately sent via satellite or radio. Detection data can be stored on board and sent by various means (depending on available networks) and at nominated stages.

In addition, our system has also recently been redesigned to allow activation of additional devices, such as cameras or deterrents/repellents. Almost 1000 sound files can be stored on a deterrent system and played randomly in an effort to prevent habituation to specific sounds and provide tests of sound variety and intensity. A variety of strobe and intense lights can be simultaneously operated with acoustic stimuli. In principle, virtually any electronically-controllable deterrent could be incorporated into the system (e.g. propane cannons, fire crackers, water/chemical jets, motorised effigies). A similar system, complete with an acoustic deterrent, is currently being tested on lions involved in conflict with livestock producers in Botswana, under a project headed by Dr Neil Jordan (UNSW).   

In conjunction with tagged animal detections, additional detection measures will be added to the system to bolster detection probabilities and enable detection of untagged individuals. Pertinent examples include passive infrared (PIR) and so-called “break-the-beam” motion detection if suited to the conditions, which we have successfully used in other projects. Another option will be to use FLIR thermal cameras, which we have many years’ experience with and could prove very useful in some circumstances, especially once thermal signatures of the target species have been properly determined.

This application was largely aimed at larger species that could acoomodate relatively large 433MHz tags, but we also have a 2.4GHz version for smaller critters.

We'll be releasing it all to open-source hopefully very, very soon. 

More than happy to provide additional information to anyone interested and keep up the amazing work everyone. I've been very inspired by the projects I've come across through the challenge and on WILDLABS more generally. 

Also, perhaps this is the beginnings of a think tank of sorts for these kinds of ideas, which I'd love to be involved in. Maybe we could have a group chat/Skype event - or a mini, digital "conference" discussing all these (and other ideas). I'd be keen.

So Collector is really for editing data, or adding GIS info in the field in a map interface. Works offline. It's ok for that purpose, you can take your entire map, basemap offline to the field, you can see what data has been collected in real-time, but can be buggy and if you accidentelly log out you're completely out of luck with no connection.

I use it to track drone flights - i.e. I flew here, with some notes.

Survey123 is ESRI's solution for ODK or form based surveys. I like it a lot, it's flexible, you don't need people to log in and it just looks better than ODK and works on iOS, and doesn't require the annoying server set-up of ODK and has great offline capability. But it's form-based, you don't really see the data you are editing in a map. But the best part are the analysis features where you can see stats on responses and such.

Let me know if you have more questions, we have used survey123 extensively, also in places where people have limited cell network, and limited knowledge of smartphones.

Hi Steve, 

Over on Twitter, @RLong has a suggestion that might be useful? 

Dave Moskowitz https://t.co/ZJhAPTgzyx has developed some @ESRI Collector workflows for his work with @ConservationNW. You might get in touch with one of them for advice.

— Robert Long (@RLongEco) March 28, 2018

James Bevan also has some feedback: 

I’ve used iGIS quite a bit to map points, lines and polygons. Created shapefiles can be emailed or stored in Dropbox and transferred to ArcGIS. The paid version also can calculate area and distance. Cons: somewhat fiddly to use.

— James Bevan (@JamesRBevan) April 9, 2018

Cheers

Steph

Hi Steve,

I have used GIS Pro by Garafa on an iPad. I found it was one of the only apps that allowed importing of custom raster images. This feature has allowed me to take an image into the field, and ditize on it directly. I am mapping individual trees in airborne remote sensing data, so accurate digitizatoin with reference to my specific image is a must.

Other useful features are that you can create and edit vectors (points, lines, and polygons) and you cache basemaps (Google, Bing...) to work offline.

Happy to talk more about my application and experience with this app.

- Sarah

Both initiatives are very interesting. I love the one about the elephants that @nilaksha comments.

There are currently several projects that are using artificial intelligence (in fact, Microsoft is looking for interested parties for possible funding https://www2.fundsforngos.org/environment-conservation-climate-change-and-ecology/ai-for-earth-program-seeking-proposals-from-all-over-the-world/). But its main objective is to identify the species thanks to techniques such as deep learning and I do not know if it would be applicable in the present case.

Regards,

Judit

Hi Rosemary,

Do you know this website that gathers grants and resources for sustainability?

 https://www2.fundsforngos.org/category/environment-conservation-climate-change-and-ecology/

Regards,

Judit

Hi Damian, 

Just sent you an e-mail with some other thoughts.

Good luck!

Drue

Hi Damian, 

You could use a SMS gateway, which acts as a link between two mobile devices in order to send SMSes. As Drue stated out Whatsapp or other applications might be better given the added functionality they provide.