About SMART 

SMART is a set of software and analysis tools that help conservationists manage and protect wildlife and wild places. This suite of tools enables you to collect, store, communicate, and evaluate data, making it easier for key information to get from the field to decision-makers. 

More than a tool, SMART has been commonly presented as an approach based on three main pillars:

• The technology
• The community of users 
• The capacity it brings to conservationists 

Today, SMART is utilised in over 1200 sites across more than 100 countries, making it the most widely adopted solution for conservation area management.

Visit the SMART website to learn more. 

About the participants

For this first congress, nearly 350 participants from various organisations spanning 52 countries attended the event. As highlighted multiple times in our research on gender representation and during the WILDLABS Awards 2024, only 32% of the attendees were women.

Three technical take-home messages

• SMART 8 was announced. This new version will enable a better data management model and  connection with Earth Ranger.

• Gundi tool was presented. This amazing platform enables you to connect any type of data with your application. If you want to know more about this amazing tool, watch @elsaroeber's presentation: 

• Ecoscope, a data visualisation tool created by @jwall and his team from Mara Elephant Project will integrate this ecosystem of tools. 

Three non-technical take-home messages 

• A training platform dedicated to the SMART tool will be launched soon, providing an opportunity for individuals to go deeper into understanding its functionalities.
• As @Rohit emphasized during his insightful talks, on-the-ground conservation efforts entail more than just equipping rangers with technology; it involves ensuring they have all the essential equipment they deserve. Many of them still lack proper boots and water bottles, which are fundamental necessities.

• During the closing plenary, Tara Stoinski, President and CEO/Chief Scientific Officer at Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, reminded everyone that biodiversity conservation is not only the 15th UN Sustainable Development Goal, but also a means to address at least 8 others (see below), with technology enhancing capacity.

  

WILDLABS at the congress 

For us, this congress was an opportunity to showcase our community and programs, as well as to engage with numerous individuals from the sector and delve into discussions about the realities of conservation on the ground.

Thank you to Nathalia Santana and Drew Cronin (@dcronin) for the organisation of this successful congress and to all attendees and speakers that participate in making this event even greater!

This article is only a quick summary of these rich three days. If you want to share your insights or ask questions, don't hesitate to comment!