Karibu to the WILDLABS East Africa Community!
Why WE Exist
After 7 years of strategically building the global WILDLABS community, it was now time for our team to venture into the next phase of our programme: creating regional virtual hubs. The very first regional hub to go live is the East Africa community, a space that will create opportunities for members to build their knowledge, skills, expertise and reach. The idea behind creating the EA community spanned from the need to foster connections and collaborations of conservation and technology players in EA as well as make a true positive impact by tailoring resources and opportunities that will help solve conservation challenges in the region. Learn more

All we do at WILDLABS is firmly grounded on the community we serve and hope to serve! As part of this commitment, time and resources have been dedicated to ensure that this platform will be a reliable and credible resource to advance one’s knowledge, skills and be a step towards solving some of the most pressing conservation issues WE face in East Africa.
WE exist to fulfill the needs of conservation technology players in East Africa through resources & opportunities, to add value to their work, to inspire innovation & collaboration and most importantly, to contribute towards making the world a better place!
What WE Hope To Achieve
Purposefully designed to connect conservation technology practitioners and experts based in East Africa, the WILDLABS EA community will be a great space to access and share conservation technology resources, ask and answer questions unique to the landscape, collaborate and generate new and innovative ideas.
This platform is a great space for members to collaboratively fill in regional conservation tech knowledge and skills gaps present and share their work and other resources, reducing and/or eliminating replication and leading to more streamlined and effective solutions. Through the conversations taking place within the community, members will be able to connect with each other and get advice to advance their work, careers, and innovative ideas.
The community hopes to encourage level interactions that will generate new ideas on solving regional conservation tech challenges, encourage innovation, introduce members to new applications of tech in conservation, as well as spark new questions on Conservation tech in EA.
How To Get Involved
Are you keen on getting involved and understanding the intersection of conservation and technology in East Africa? This community offers an exceptional space where you can join us and get involved; to learn, share, collaborate and support one another on matters regarding conservation technology in East Africa. From posting articles, engaging in discussions, attending virtual and in-person events to supporting, applying or taking part in Programmes and opportunities in the community, these are some of the ways for you to get involved.
The first thing you can do when joining our community is to jump into our welcome thread and introduce yourself to our community. Get started here

Resources
The WILDLABS team is dedicated to making conservation tech resources accessible to the whole community in a strategic and equitable manner. With a myriad of engaging events, programmes, weekly conversations and opportunities lined up, the East Africa community will be a great virtual place to build one’s skills, knowledge, and networks. Growing a vibrant and diverse community will be made possible by the collaborative efforts of all members through their interactions and their active participation in regional activities organized/supported by WILDLABS.
Some of the resources that will give you a feel of Conservation technology tools and systems implemented in East Africa include:
- Using IoT and Machine Learning to Protect Kenya's Rivers.
- Learning Resource: Exploring Species Interactions with Snapshot Serengeti.
- Mobile Phone Reporting for Rapid Wildlife Health Response in Uganda
Members of the East Africa community are invited to share their projects, organizations, experiences, failures, and ideas in their Conservation Tech work, to support the development of tools that will form part of the resources made available to other members.

Programmes
Women in Conservation Technology Programme
With a cohort of 15 talented and emerging female conservationists, our inaugural Women in Conservation Technology Programme, is the first of many Programmes organized for the community. WILDLABS, Ol Pejeta Conservancy, and Fauna & Flora International partnered to run this programme as the very first opportunity organized for the East Africa community.

This programme is designed for early career Kenyan women in conservation who are looking to explore emerging conservation technologies. In addition to in-person and virtual training on foundational skills and knowledge on conservation technologies to overcome conservation and wildlife challenges in Kenya, participants have an opportunity to network with a strong cohort of other women leaders in the field and gain professional development skills. Through this unique blend of training and networking, we hope to empower Kenyan women in conservation who are often underrepresented in the sector. It is an avenue to encourage the group to generate innovative ideas, novel solutions, and diverse perspectives that engender conservation success.
We received close to 200 outstanding applications for the Programme this year, and this reminded us of the collaborative conservation efforts, implemented through great projects running, exceptional conservation and technology organizations and visionary conservationists in East Africa. We hope to reach more conservation technologists to build their knowledge and skills through such trainings and capacity building Programmes.
'Women in Science are often underrepresented in Kenya. Intentionally creating this training Programme for Women in Conservation Technology goes a long way to show that well-thought out initiatives are currently being put in place to empower women in the field. This Programme will not only benefit me, but will be a motivation to upcoming Women in Conservation Technology.'~ Consolata Gathoni Gitau
With the knowledge and skills garnered from this programme, participants will be able to spread awareness of novel conservation technology solutions to their home organizations and empower other female conservationists. We believe that this Programme is a great strategic direction towards empowering early career female conservationists!
Events
From in-person and virtual events, this hub is a great place tailored for conservationists and technologists in East Africa to support each other in creating novel solutions to complex regional conservation challenges. The East Africa community will be part of already established virtual events such as Tech Tutors and Virtual meetups, where topics covered will answer questions related to conservation challenges unique to East Africa. The virtual events will bring together members and participants to learn new skills, get expert advice, ask questions, gain knowledge and foster existing knowledge and skills.
The East Africa community exists because of each of you, and we hope you are happy to join and use the platform for knowledge sharing, collaboration and networking. You can join the community and interact with other members here. To get in touch with Netty Cheruto, our WILDLABS East Africa Community Coordinator, email her at: [email protected].
Header Image: @Dylan Habil
Group curators
- @EstherGithinji
- | She/Her
WILDLABS
I am the WILDLABS East Africa Conservation Technology Intern
- 54 Resources
- 15 Discussions
- 2 Groups
Conservation technology enthusiast
- 0 Resources
- 3 Discussions
- 14 Groups
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 3 Groups
- @Ymuyia
- | She/her
I am a marine Conservationist based in Kenya, I currently work at REEFolution Trust, a non profit that works to restore corals of the Wasini Channel
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 2 Groups
- @fmnrandrew
- | he, him
I hold a PhD in terrestrial ecology (2010) and am an Adjunct Research Fellow at Charles Sturt University. I also work with World Vision Australia as Monitoring Coordinator for a project called "Scale Up FMNR" which is short for "Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration"
- 0 Resources
- 1 Discussions
- 2 Groups
- @VeraKloettschen
- | she/her
Vera conceptualises and implements environmental projects and strategies. Her passions are NBS, Climate Finance and Circular Economy.
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 4 Groups
- @lhughey
- | she/her
Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute
I am an ecologist and program manager with experience leading collaborative research projects in international settings. I specialize in the application of animal tracking data to conserve migratory species on a changing planet.
- 0 Resources
- 1 Discussions
- 3 Groups
- @KimLane
- | She/Her
Sustainability Manager for CERES Tag LTD. An animal health company; animal monitoring, conservation, & anti-poaching/ rural crime. Wildlife, livestock, equine & companion. #CeresTrace #CeresWild #CeresRanch #SalusPet
- 2 Resources
- 17 Discussions
- 22 Groups
- @Kungu
- | she/her
- 1 Resources
- 7 Discussions
- 3 Groups
- @TaliaSpeaker
- | She/her
WILDLABS
I'm the WILDLABS Research Specialist at WWF-US
- 7 Resources
- 52 Discussions
- 24 Groups
- @ahmed_fuad
- | he/him
CEO & Co-Founder of SpaceIn. Using geospatial data and computer systems to tackle environmental issues.
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 3 Groups
- @14.nessa
- | She/her
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 2 Groups
- @willgertler
- | he/him/his
Co-Founder & CEO, Kumbatia Seafood. Passionate about small-scale fisheries, regenerative ingredient sourcing, and sustainable coastal development.
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 3 Groups
Connected Conservation Foundation is seeking a GIS and Data Science Specialist to help design and support remote sensing projects. This is a unique opportunity to work with local conservation teams across the globe and...
27 September 2023
Varaha is seeking a Geospatial Data Scientist to help design, build, and deliver a compelling spatial data science platform and develop industry leading AI models for satellite imagery.
25 September 2023
Conservation International is seeking a Chief Information and Technology Officer (CITO) to develop and champion the organization’s digital transformation agenda and deliver integrated technology solutions to CI’s...
14 September 2023
The WCS team in Uganda is working with impacted communities, district leaders and wildlife authorities to come up with innovative solutions to Human Wildlife Conflicts and curb wildlife crimes in our time. Check out...
5 September 2023
Join us in welcoming Esther Githinji, our WILDLABS East Africa Conservation Technology Facilitator who will grow and support the conservation technology community across our first regional hub in East Africa. Read on to...
1 September 2023
Read our interview with Sandra Maryanne, a young conservation tech innovator raised in Taita, Ivarenyi with first-hand experience on the challenges of human-elephant conflict within her community. To address this, she...
7 August 2023
Careers
Tanzania Research and Conservation Organization (TRCO) is currently advertising for a research assistant position to join a TRCO team to carry out research and conservation projects in various places in Tanzania.
2 August 2023
Human-Wildlife Conflict is a pressing conservation challenge affecting natural ecosystems, biodiversity and local communities across East Africa. This has led to the development and adoption of diverse conservation...
1 August 2023
This course was developed by Code for Africa in partnership with the BBC Media Action with funding from the EU under the Confer project in association with Norcap and ICPAC to help communicate and report about climate...
21 July 2023
Funding
Join the movement to create a more sustainable future for our planet, while empowering women as climate champions. Present your climate solutions to industry experts and secure funding for your incredible work.
21 July 2023
Renew Capital is sourcing startups for our next Super Angels Fund and we are hoping to close investments in 20 startups before the end of December 2023.
19 July 2023
Apply as an individual or a group for Kenya Community Development Foundation's Young Environmentalist Innovative Challenge Fund inspiring Kenyan youth to advance environmental conservation through innovative ideas.
19 July 2023
November 2023
event
September 2023
event
event
Description | Activity | Replies | Groups | Updated |
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Alina has been a longtime friend of WILDLABS, and has been incredibly generous about sharing her knowledge as a Tech Tutor, an expert... |
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East Africa Community, Protected Area Management Tools | 2 weeks 5 days ago | |
Am helping a conservation project use iNaturalist for their work in bio-diversity monitoring and also citizen science, STEM program with... |
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Community Base, Citizen Science, East Africa Community | 1 month 1 week ago | |
Lovely to hear from you Kylie :) Thanks so much for contributing your thoughts and ideas towards this. |
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East Africa Community | 1 month 2 weeks ago | |
Conservation Training Programs:Tropical Biology AssociationTraining conservation leaders and giving them the skills and support they need to be effective on the ground. TBA... |
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East Africa Community, Women in Conservation Tech Programme (WiCT) | 1 month 4 weeks ago | |
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Climate Change, Community Base, East Africa Community, Emerging Tech, Software and Mobile Apps | 2 months ago | ||
@richardturere Hello :) and a warm welcome to WILDLABS! Here is the link to @Lekato Samuel Lekato - Founder and Chairman, Enduata Emaa CBO. Sam is interested in conservation... |
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Citizen Science, Climate Change, Community Base, Connectivity, Conservation Tech Training and Education, East Africa Community, Human-Wildlife Conflict | 2 months 1 week ago | |
Ben Letcher from the comment below will be able to provide much more in-depth info, but feel free to email me at [email protected] |
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East Africa Community, Sensors | 2 months 4 weeks ago | |
Hey everyone,On Thursday 11th May, Howard Frederick from Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute will be covering a Tech... |
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Community Base, East Africa Community, Protected Area Management Tools | 5 months ago | |
greetings! i sent you a PM regarding this, feel free to contact me however is most convenient for you - regards,chris |
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Acoustic Monitoring, AI for Conservation, Camera Traps, Climate Change, East Africa Community, Wildlife Crime | 5 months 1 week ago | |
Hi Rupert,My name is Jordan Steward and I lead comms and marketing for EarthRanger. Happy to put you in contact with a member of our team who can help you out here. My email is... |
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East Africa Community, Protected Area Management Tools | 6 months 2 weeks ago | |
... after reading this, I was almost on my way to the amazon website. ... but then I rethought 'niche profession' and 'whole other ball game', which do not sound like an easy win. |
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Drones, East Africa Community | 7 months 2 weeks ago | |
Hi Carly,There are no built in automatic drop-off mechanism for the tags. We do have customers that have purchased and incorporated the tag into different types of harness and... |
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Biologging, East Africa Community | 1 year ago |
TAWIRI 14th Scientific Conference 2023
28 September 2023 3:50pm
GIS & Data Science Specialist, Connected Conservation Foundation
27 September 2023 1:28pm
Human - Non-human Primate Conflict Mitigation Approaches: Lessons from Olive Baboons - YouTube
26 September 2023 12:11pm
Hear about the ways Uaso Ngiro Baboon Project (UNBP) works with Laikipia's local communities to improve relationships between humans and baboons through this talk by Co-Director - Dr. Corinna Most on human-baboon conflict and mitigation strategies.
1st Wildlife Scientific Conference 2023
25 September 2023 11:10am
Geospatial Data Scientist, Varaha
25 September 2023 9:58am
Chief Information and Technology Officer, Conservation International

14 September 2023 9:13am
ConTechAfrica: Alina Peter Daati's new initiative to bridge conservation issues to tech solutions
13 September 2023 4:56pm
Predator Monitoring & Community Conservation within the Greater Mara Ecosystem
13 September 2023 10:22am
The Maasai Mara: Conservation, Communities & Cattle
11 September 2023 2:12pm
Video: WCS Uganda innovating Human-Wildlife Conflict solutions
5 September 2023 12:04pm
Alibaba Cloud's Geo Fencing System in the Mara
1 September 2023 12:27pm
Wilson Sairowua, Tracking Manager at Mara Elephant Project (MEP) narrates how tech4change, Alibaba Cloud's Geo Fencing System paired with collaring has helped to mitigate human-elephant conflict across Maasai Mara and has facilitated a 72% increase in elephants in the Mara region
DSAIL Tech4Wildlife Workshop
1 September 2023 11:32am
26 September 2023 9:19am
Introducing Esther Githinji, WILDLABS East Africa Conservation Technology Facilitator

1 September 2023 11:23am
Seedbank Project on iNaturalist
25 August 2023 4:28am
Born Free Uses Smart Maps to Save Lions, Solve Human-Wildlife Conflict
17 August 2023 2:35pm
Location intelligence helps Born Free Kenya understand where communities and lions are in conflict. Outreach to fortify cattle corrals is guided by smart maps and spatial analysis.
East Africa Community Monthly Catch ups: Share your ideas!
15 August 2023 8:17am
16 August 2023 11:20pm
This is great to hear, thank you Esther!
I would love to learn about project opportunities within this community and how I might be able to contribute given that I'm located in the US.
I'd be happy to share my own experiences during these sessions, and ideas I have about what I personally would like to do in the future, I look forward to connecting with the rest of the community.
Any weekday from 2:30p-5:00p EAT works well for me, very exciting!
17 August 2023 2:04pm
Lovely to hear from you Kylie :) Thanks so much for contributing your thoughts and ideas towards this.
Digital Earth Africa establishes satellite office in Kenya to drive research and policy-making | Digital Watch Observatory
14 August 2023 3:44pm
The move will enable harnessing earth observation data for food security, environmental conservation, and climate change mitigation.
Earth Observation Tech Saved Critically Endangered Giraffes
14 August 2023 3:42pm
Here is a great story of how earth observation technologies and a specially-built barge dubbed the 'GiRaft' helped save critically endangered Rothschild's giraffes from Longcharo Island when rising lakes proved a significant threat.
Catch up with The Variety Hour: August
14 August 2023 11:50am
Human-Elephant Conflict Tech Solution in Tsavo: NdovuCare
7 August 2023 1:36pm
As an East African woman in the field of Conservation Technology, what resources have been the most useful for you?
21 June 2023 8:23am
24 July 2023 6:56pm
@EstherGithinji These are some of the coolest programs! Thanks for sharing these. You are addressing 3 critical topics at once: (1) Wildlife Conservation; (2) Economic Opportunity at the Local Level in a sustainable manner that benefits from Wildlife Conservation; and (3) helping to create economic opportunities for women in Africa.
Many of the problems in Africa are the direct result of the economic/power imbalance between men and women. Many women in East Africa (I don't believe in Kenya or Tanzania, but for sure in Uganda where I witnessed it with my own eyes), are going off into "modern slavery" with "labor companies" who subcontract them out as domestic help or factory workers, but then take their passports once they land overseas and then don't pay the wages the women are due. The young women do this because they don't enough opportunities at home.
These programs that you are promoting make a huge difference!
25 July 2023 9:39am
Thanks @Drue_Freeman It really is important to empower young women across East Africa who have so much potential - through upskilling and training for skills that will be vital for the green jobs of the future - one being in conservation technology!
3 August 2023 3:02pm
Conservation Training Programs:
Training conservation leaders and giving them the skills and support they need to be effective on the ground. TBA programmes work on the ground in Africa and Asia, empowering students to make a positive, physical impact on the natural environment.
1. Field Courses: TBA month-long courses in tropical ecology and conservation. These courses are for students at advanced undergraduate or early postgraduate level who have a keen interest, but little experience, in tropical biology.
2. Specialist Courses: These courses provide tailor-made training for individuals, teams and organisations and target specific areas for professional growth.
3. Online Courses: TBA has made training more accessible with online courses.
TRCO Hiring Research Assistant
2 August 2023 7:07am
What Technologies are you using to Mitigate Human-Wildlife Conflict across East Africa?
1 August 2023 8:29am
How are the Arts intersecting with Conservation Technology in a rapidly changing world?
2 June 2023 10:30am
1 August 2023 8:27am
Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund announce new collaboration for carbon-neutral PERL NFTs
In celebration of World Gorilla Day on September 24, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund is announcing plans to launch an exclusive line of carbon-neutral non-fungible tokens, Moon Gorillas, in partnership with Bioeconomy and PERL.eco. One hundred percent of proceeds from the NFTs will be used to support...
Using an AI-based Warning System to Protect Whales in South Africa
28 July 2023 11:01am
Working with WWF, Vodacom is using cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) technology and infrared cameras to help minimise whale entanglements in mussel farming ropes off the southwest coast of South Africa in Saldanha Bay.
Interested in being part of the Enduata Emaa CBO's Green Planet Ambassadors Project in Amboseli?
5 July 2023 10:28am
25 July 2023 1:14pm
@richardturere Hello :) and a warm welcome to WILDLABS! Here is the link to @Lekato Samuel Lekato - Founder and Chairman, Enduata Emaa CBO. Sam is interested in conservation technology focused on how to keep wild animals away from community homesteads in Amboseli and I reckon your Lion Lights could help. I'll let you two take on the conversation from here. Thanks!
Want to learn how to report on #ClimateChange? Here's a Free BBC Media Action Course
21 July 2023 11:46am
Gender4Climate Africa Challenge
21 July 2023 11:40am
Renew Capital launches Renew Venture Lab
19 July 2023 1:58pm
KCDF's Young Environmentalist Innovative Challenge Fund (YEIC)
19 July 2023 1:04pm
26 September 2023 6:54am