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Conservation Tech Training and Education / Feed

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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Leveraging Actuarial Skills for Conservation Impact

Hello Wildlabs Community,I'm an experienced actuary with a deep passion for wildlife and conservation. With over 15 years in the insurance industry, I've honed my skills in data...

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Hi Steph,

Thanks so much for welcoming me to WildLabs and for posing a question that really gets to the heart of what I believe I can offer to the community. 

Actuaries, by trade, are experts in risk management and financial forecasting, using data from the past to predict future trends and outcomes. But it's how this expertise can apply to conservation that's truly exciting to me.

For instance, consider coral reefs, vital ecosystems facing existential threats from climate change and human activities. An actuary could help by modelling the intricate dynamics between environmental factors and reef health, assessing the financial implications of their decline not just on local communities, but globally. This is similar to how we model financial risks and potential losses due to environmental changes in the insurance industry. It’s about understanding the value of conservation, not just in ecological terms, but also in clear financial language that can speak to both the public sector and private enterprises.

The innovative work within this community, from Sara Beery's advancements in computer vision to Ben Mirin's creative engagement with wildlife sounds, showcases the power of interdisciplinary approaches. I am in awe of these efforts and am keen to see where someone with my background in predictive analytics and financial impact assessment can fit in.

As a newcomer eager to contribute, I'm particularly interested in exploring projects where we can apply actuarial science to optimize conservation funding or model the economic benefits of preserving ecosystems like coral reefs. These models can help make a compelling case to stakeholders about the urgency of conservation efforts, bridging the gap between ecological necessity and financial strategy.

I’m here not just to bring my skills to the table, but to learn from all of you and find where I can best contribute to the incredible work being done here.

Looking forward to finding my place in this inspiring community.

Best regards, 

Ruhan

Hello again,

I’ve been reflecting further on our discussions and wanted to share another perspective that bridges our worlds. 

The insurance industry, particularly in property and casualty, which is a multi-trillion-dollar market globally, is facing unprecedented challenges due to environmental changes. Traditionally, insurers have relied on historical data to forecast future risks. However, the rapid pace of climate change is rendering centuries of data increasingly irrelevant, putting immense pressure on the industry to adapt quickly.

This situation presents an interesting parallel to conservation efforts. Just as insurers are now considering investments to mitigate environmental risks to protect their financial interests, there's a growing recognition that protecting natural habitats and biodiversity is not just an ethical imperative but also a financial necessity. The urgency that insurers feel to adapt and invest in mitigating climate risks mirrors the urgent need for action within conservation to prevent irreversible damage to ecosystems like coral reefs, forests, and more.

I wonder if there's an opportunity for a collaborative approach where conservation projects can align with the insurance industry's need to invest in environmental protection as a means of safeguarding their own future. Such projects could offer innovative, data-driven solutions to conservation challenges while also providing insurers with viable strategies to reduce their exposure to environmental risks.

I’m fascinated by the potential for our fields to collaborate, leveraging the financial muscle of the insurance industry to support conservation efforts on a scale that could make a significant difference. What are your thoughts on this? Could there be a space for actuaries in designing conservation strategies that also serve to mitigate future financial risks for insurers?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and exploring potential synergies.

Best, Ruhan

Hi Ruhan. 

Sent you a DM. It sounds interesting and possibly can intersect with our work in environmental and ecosystem monitoring. 

Thanks.

Akiba

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AI for Conservation!

Hi everybody!I just graduated in artificial intelligence (master's) after a bachelor's in computer engineering. I'm absolutely fascinated by nature and wildlife and I'm trying to...

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Conservation Technology for Human-Wildlife Conflict in Non-Protected Areas: Advice on Generating Evidence

Hello,I am interested in human-dominated landscapes around protected areas. In my case study, the local community does not get compensation because they are unable to provide...

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This is an area where my system would do very well in:



 

 

Also, as you mention areas dominated by humans, there is a high likelyhood that there will be enough power there to support this system, which provides very high performance and flexibility but it comes with a power and somewhat a cost cost.



Additionally, it's life blood comes with generating alerts and making security and evidence gathering practical and manageable, with it's flexible state management system.



Ping me offline if you would like to have a look at the system.

Hi Amit,

The most important thing is that the livestock owners contact you as soon as possible after finding the carcass. We commonly do two things if they contact us on the same day or just after the livestock was killed:

  1. Use CyberTracker (or similar software) on an Android smart phone to record all tracks, bite marks, feeding pattern and any other relevant signs of the reason for the loss with pictures and GPS coordinates. [BTW, Compensation is a big issue -- What do you do if the livestock was stolen? What do you do if a domestic animal killed the livestock? What if it died from disease or natural causes and was scavenged upon by carnivores afterwards?]
  2. In the case of most cats, they would hide the prey (or just mark it by covering it with grass or branches and urinating in the area). In this case you can put up a camera trap on the carcass to capture the animal when it returns to its kill (Reconyx is good if you can afford it - we use mostly Cuddeback with white flash). This will normally only work if the carcass is fresh (so other predators would not be able to smell it and not know where it is yet), so the camera only has to be up for 3-5 days max.

This is not really high-tech, but can be very useful to not only establish which predator was responsible (or if a predator was responsible), but also to record all the evidence for that.

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Let's save our environment

Remote Sensing and Research group at Dedan Kimathi University have come up with this ebook after a project observing the deterioration of part of the aberdare.
I always welcome efforts that involve young learners so that they benefit and participate. Thank you RSRG Team.

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How are Outdoor Fire Detection Systems Adapted for Small Forest Areas, Considering the Predominance of Indoor Fire Detectors?

How are fire detection mechanisms tailored for outdoor environments, particularly in small forest areas, given that most fire and smoke detectors are designed for indoor use?

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Fire detection is a sort of broad idea.  Usually people detect the products of fire, and most often this is smoke.

Many home fire detectors in the US use a radioactive source and measure the absorption of the radiation by the air.  More smoke means more absorption.

For outdoor fire detection, PM2.5 can be a very good smoke proxy, and outdoor PM2.5 sensing is pretty accessible.

This one is very popular in my area. 

 

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Kenya Forest Club, Central Region – Kenya Forest Club

It has been an exciting challenge as a member of Kenya Forest Club whose main aim is solving climate change challenges through early childhood education and training, with a particular interest in forestry.
The club hopes to have members in all schools and setup of tree nurseries

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Information to the young who are the future

All our efforts in conservation will be beneficial mostly to the the young. How are you making available your works to them? I try to provide information in simple and fun way to...

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Great work @CathyNj kindly check out the below opportunity. I reckon you may find it useful for your work. 

"Join Planet Ed and The Nature Conservancy for the Planet Media Call for Pitches to Shape the Future of Climate Education for Kids!" 

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CT Textbook?! Want to contribute/help author? Reach out! 

Hello All,I have had some great discussions this past few weeks on the Conservation Tech Introductory textbook for undergrads. If others would still like to be involved as authors...

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Is there an update on this effort? It'd be great to create a fully open source open education resource (OER) from this!

Hi Andrew, 

Are you still working on this text? I'd be interested in authoring a chapter, if you are. I'm a reasercher in Human Centered Design and Engineering at University of Washington, and I work in this space. 

Hi Stephie,

I want to start by apologising for not responding for more than ten months.I continue to be impressed by the information that Wildlabs provides, particularly in the conservation tech sector, which I try to follow because it's a subject that I'm really enthusiastic about. I am now situated in Germany.

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