Ten years ago, we couldn't have imagined how tools like machine learning, eDNA, and satellites would advance and transform conservation work. Now technology is advancing faster than ever, and as tools become smaller, lighter, and more affordable, it's vital to have a space where community members can discuss the next big thing, share ideas, compare tool options, and tell the story of their experiences - positive, negative, and anything in between - while using new technologies.
In 2021, the WILDLABS State of Conservation Tech report detailed what tools show the most promise according to community members, as well as what tools are currently seen as the most effective. And as new tools enter the field, we're excited to see how this data will change over time, and how this group grows over time as well.
Our State of Conservation Tech research also discusses something called the "Hype Cycle" - the pattern that occurs when a new technology bursts onto the scene, promises to be an exciting solution, encounters challenges as new users adopt the tool and put it into practice beyond just theory, and eventually settles into its most effective state as users acquire the right skills to use it to its actual potential. Machine learning, one of the most promising technologies, is currently in the middle of its own hype cycle, and we see community members working through their own hurdles to incorporate ML into their work effectively. Despite what you may think, this Hype Cycle can also be positive for tech development, as it means that users have big ideas for new tools, and with the right resources and skills, they can work toward bringing those ideas to life. And as our community members experiences the Hype Cycle for various tools at their own paces, we hope this group will also serve as a place to discuss that process and overcome hurdles together.
Ready to discover new possibilities? Join our Emerging Tech group now and get to know your forward-thinking conservation tech peers!
Header photo: Internet of Elephants
- @DBayley
- | He/him
Fauna & Flora & University College London (UCL)
I'm a tropical marine ecologist, specialising in coral reefs, MPAs, and blue carbon. Within conservation technology my focus has been around developing underwater imaging techniques, primarily to assist coral reef monitoring
- 0 Resources
- 1 Discussions
- 5 Groups
- @EliThore
- | He/Him
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
I am a biologist with a broad interest in how the environment affects the behaviour and ecology of wildlife. I also like seeking creative and practical solutions to reduce our impact on the environment.
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 5 Groups
PhD student with research focused on using on-site DNA sequencing for rapid species identification. Interested in wildlife forensics, and conservation genomics.
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 4 Groups
- @Gcharron
- | Mr.
Cofounder of Outreach Robotics, I have a master in mechanical engineering and I thrive on developing new technology for field scientists using remote controlled robots.
- 1 Resources
- 1 Discussions
- 4 Groups
- 1 Resources
- 5 Discussions
- 4 Groups
I am a forensic geneticist with a long term interest in developing and applying DNA markers to combat wildlife crime. Currently developing and validating STRs for raptors and rapid on-site species ID using the ONT MinION portable sequencer.
- 2 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 5 Groups
- @garthpaine
- | He/Him
Arizona State University
Garth Paine (https://www.activatedspace.com/ ) is acoustic ecologist, composer, sound artist, and academic (ASU) based in USA/Australia. He is known for his pioneering work on species density metrics from ambient recordings and his anti-poaching efforts
- 1 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 5 Groups
Cave biologist and conservationist
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 4 Groups
- @Gody
- | He
Godfrey Nyangaresi, a dedicated Protection Manager with 12+ years of wildlife conservation experience. Skilled in technologies, administration, and law enforcement, he leads protection efforts at STEP, ensuring the sustainable conservation of elephants in southern Tanzania.
- 0 Resources
- 3 Discussions
- 17 Groups
PhD Candidate at University College London. Research and develop wireless sensor networks for biodiversity monitoring. Currently working on a software package for AI bioacoustics classifiers on edge device.
- 0 Resources
- 2 Discussions
- 8 Groups
Director of Spatial Planning and Innovation Nature Conservancy of Canada
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 12 Groups
Firmware/Electronics Engineer with 10+ years of experience building telemetry devices for wildlife conservation. I'm an avid birdwatcher and enjoy wildlife photography. CTO and Senior Engineer at Cellular Tracking Technologies.
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 7 Groups
Why you should know about Kenya-founded data analytics company - Gro Intelligence, arguably the largest funded tech startup within the African startup ecosystem and the only platform that brings together live, global...
5 May 2023
We are a team of ecologists and technologists who believe good business must be good for nature. We’re building an economy that puts nature and business in balance by incentivising the restoration of nature at scale.
2 May 2023
Article
Running a startup addressing the biodiversity crisis and generating early revenues or looking to pivot your business model? Don’t miss this great chance to grow alongside a like-minded community of founders, investors,...
2 May 2023
Building on the previous GSMA Innovation Fund for Climate Resilience and Adaptation, the objective of this new Fund is to pilot and scale-up digital technology innovations that make a positive socio-economic and...
21 April 2023
Careers
We create Precision Fishing technology to help commercial fishermen catch their target species more consistently & sustainably.
5 April 2023
Skylight is looking for someone who loves our ocean, has a deep interest in apply cutting-edge tech to protect it, is proficient in English and Spanish, and has a background in partnership building and training.
10 March 2023
New paper in Trends in Parasitology discusses how acoustic monitoring can be used to assess presence and overlap of host or reservoir species, disease vectors and human activity.
8 March 2023
The Innovation in Practice edition of Methods in Ecology and Evolution is still seeking proposals about conservation technology
6 March 2023
We develop Precision Fishing technology to help commercial fishermen catch their target species more consistently & sustainably.
27 February 2023
We develop Precision Fishing technology to help commercial fishermen catch their target species more consistently & sustainably.
27 February 2023
Article
You’re invited to the WILDLABS Variety Hour, our monthly community event connecting you to the exciting projects, research, and ideas that are happening in conservation tech right now. Brought to you with the support of...
15 February 2023
November 2023
event
Description | Activity | Replies | Groups | Updated |
---|---|---|---|---|
Hi Steph, We appreciate the support! Thanks for the tag and your help managing the community!Patrick |
|
Sensors, Acoustics, Conservation Dogs, Emerging Tech, Open Source Solutions | 10 hours 36 minutes ago | |
Hi Sol,If the maximum depth is 30m, it would be worth experimenting with HydroMoth in this application especially if the deployment time is short. As Matt says, the air-filed case... |
|
Acoustics, AI for Conservation, Data management and processing tools, Emerging Tech, Sustainable Fishing Challenges | 11 hours 42 minutes ago | |
In my experience, ChatGPT-4 performs significantly better than version 3.5, especially in terms of contextual understanding. However, like any AI model, inaccuracies cannot be... |
+40
|
AI for Conservation, Emerging Tech | 1 day 2 hours ago | |
Congratulations! My first hydromoth was just arrived yesterday and so excited! Looking forward for the update from your project!!! |
|
Acoustics, Biologging, Climate Change, Conservation Tech Training and Education, Data management and processing tools, Emerging Tech, Open Source Solutions, Protected Area Management Tools, Sensors, Software and Mobile Apps | 2 days 7 hours ago | |
SYNTHETIC APERTURE RADAR WILL ALSO DETECT AND LOCATE CHAINSAWS, MOTORBIKES, BICYLCLES, FIREARMS, MACHETES in fact anything metal. I have been concentrating on trying to get... |
+10
|
AI for Conservation, Drones, Emerging Tech, Human-Wildlife Conflict, Wildlife Crime | 1 week 2 days ago | |
Gotcha, well I look forward to seeing future iterations and following along with your progress!! |
|
Autonomous Camera Traps for Insects, AI for Conservation, Emerging Tech, Open Source Solutions | 2 weeks ago | |
'Most importantly, we have to make it play a MIDI version of the DoctorWho theme song when you arm the device. That has to be the #1 feature if you ask me!' Seconded! |
+9
|
Acoustics, Biologging, Emerging Tech, Open Source Solutions, Sensors | 2 weeks 3 days ago | |
Hi @Alasdair Great to hear from you! Thanks for the comment and for those very useful links (very interesting). And for letting @Rob_Appleby know. I can't wait to hear... |
|
Emerging Tech, Camera Traps, Conservation Tech Training and Education | 1 month ago | |
Hello everyone, I'm interested in gathering insights on how the behavior of different species impacts the development and efficacy of... |
|
Biologging, Acoustics, Camera Traps, eDNA & Genomics, Emerging Tech, Marine Conservation | 1 month 1 week ago | |
Hi @timbirdweather I've now got them up and running and winding how I can provide feedback on species ID to improve the accuracy over time. It would be really powerful to have a... |
|
Acoustics, AI for Conservation, Citizen Science, Emerging Tech | 1 month 2 weeks ago | |
Thank you for the help! |
|
Biologging, Emerging Tech | 2 months 2 weeks ago | |
Hi Danilo. you seem very passionate about this initiative which is a good start.It is an interesting coincidence that I am starting another project for the coral reefs in the... |
|
Acoustics, AI for Conservation, Biologging, Camera Traps, Citizen Science, Climate Change, Community Base, Connectivity, Drones, Emerging Tech, Human-Wildlife Conflict, Open Source Solutions, Sensors, Software and Mobile Apps, Wildlife Crime | 3 months ago |
WIA After Hours: Episode #5 - AI for Wildlife Conservation and Imageomics with Dr. Tanya Berger-Wolf
21 September 2022 6:53pm
Listen to Tanya Berger-Wolf's conversation about AI for Wildlife Conservation and imageomics with Lauren Burke on the Women In Analytics After Hours Podcast.
HeroX Challenge: Better Call Trawl
21 September 2022 6:50pm
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Announces Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize Winners
21 September 2022 6:30pm
Amazon Sustainability call for proposals — Fall 2022
20 September 2022 11:37am
Collecting Critically Endangered Plants on Cliffs using a Drone
16 September 2022 7:49pm
Data Beyond Borders Symposium
15 September 2022 12:35pm
Senior Innovation Officer, EPA
14 September 2022 1:23pm
Crypto funding for ecosystem and conservation science
8 September 2022 1:48pm
Virtual fencing / Kinetic energy harvesting / Holistic grazing
16 June 2022 7:12am
31 July 2022 5:15pm
I see, thanks!
One daily fix is quite limiting.
Do you have an idea how KEH might affect accelerometry?
Cheers,
2 September 2022 11:05am
I don't think KEH would influence accelerometry at all.
One other way to think about it is - the KEH is a movement sensor itself.
The GPS is quite a severe factor in the energy balance of the system, so if the data is perhaps not transmitted constantly, more frequent locks could be achieved. I believe GPS transceivers are becoming more and more efficient and the KEH enabled GPS should become an option soon.
Kr,
D-
Mara Predators Hackathon
30 August 2022 1:28pm
Conservation Technology Research Internship
26 August 2022 4:58pm
Online Hackathon: Predators conservation in the Maasai Mara
22 August 2022 10:32am
Ceres Wild Rhino application
22 August 2022 1:29am
29 September 2022 4:05am
Lead Software Engineer for ARISE
19 August 2022 8:22am
Post Doctoral researcher - DNA species detection technology
15 August 2022 4:50pm
Lead Software Engineer, Wildlife Insights
10 August 2022 11:06pm
Technology may solve climate change problems, but it’s also causing them | VentureBeat
8 August 2022 11:26am
Interesting thought piece from Mark Minevitch (AI for Good) et al. on the promise of AI and other ICT innovation to deliver on climate challenges, existing ICT sector emissions - and the three types of carbon lock-in which need to be actively managed (behavioural, digital, infrastructure).
'The danger is that the promises of digital technology can blind us to its less-recognized contributions to climate woes. Emissions from the ICT sector already rival those of the airline industry. Moreover, the few studies done so far (a,b,c) suggest the ICT sector’s emissions will at least double to 2-3 GTCO2e and if the rise in global GHG emissions is limited to 1.5˚C by 2030, contribute approximately 10% of the global GHG burden — nearly equal to that of the automotive industry. And these are cautious estimates.'
Survey: The role and applicability of block-chain technology in conservation survey
3 August 2022 3:28pm
Any results coming out of this survey that you would like to share?
Research Associate
29 July 2022 9:34pm
CERES TAG
22 July 2022 3:36am
2022 EarthRanger User Conference
20 July 2022 9:08pm
Earth Species Project - Senior AI Research Scientist
15 July 2022 6:40pm
Fast Company Feature: Smart Parks
14 July 2022 4:19pm
Quantum sensing for environmental sciences
14 July 2022 4:17pm
Service Designer
13 July 2022 9:05am
What emerging technologies could make conservation technology more sustainable?
1 July 2022 4:34pm
Intro webinar - The Biodiversity Digital Twin: a new solution to support protection & restoration of ecosystems
30 June 2022 1:22am
Conservation Tech Award: Apply For Two $15K Grants
23 June 2022 6:38pm
Cofounder needed
9 June 2022 4:23pm
17 June 2022 1:14pm
What about developing a drone conservation training course for field conservation staff teaching specific skills for specific research needs.
17 June 2022 6:54pm
How exciting @Joyeeta ! I'd love to learn more about the companies and projects you worked on, can you share more info about them?
I once chatted to an entrepreneurial advisor with a couple of my conservation tech ideas, and he said my ideas are good/impactful but don't make for a product worth millions of $$$ of turnover per year that would interest investors. So I am very curious about how you got your conservation tech businesses off the ground!
18 June 2022 8:33pm
Some folks doing work in this space - Wildlife Drones, Conservation Drones, UAV Wild, AfricanDrones, Oceans Unmanned, Geonadir.
26 July 2022 11:13am
Hi,
One daily fix is planned for now. This will be challenging enough for KEH :)
Kr, D-