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WILDLABS
WILDLABS.NET connects conservationists, technologists, engineers and data scientists to help them find, share and create...
What is ‘conservation technology’?
New technological developments are empowering conservationists all over the world to better address the biggest environmental challenges we face. From camera traps to drones, acoustic sensors to eDNA, technology is increasingly helping us to protect species and ecosystems across the planet.
WILDLABS – a partnership including Fauna & Flora, Conservation International (CI), WCS, WWF and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) – is the central hub for conservation technology online, connecting more than 5,000 conservationists, researchers, field biologists, engineers, developers, makers and conservation technology experts from around the world. Everyday, our community uses technology in the field to further their wildlife conservation goals.
Common examples of conservation technology
Drones
Leam Sou, a ranger with the Ratanakiri Provincial Department of Environment, sets a camera trap deep inside Virachey National Park. © Jeremy Holden / Fauna & Flora
Camera traps
Acoustic sensors
African forest elephant collaring for research and tracking purposes. © Ruben Bañuelos Bons / Fauna & Flora
Tracking tags
Satellite remote sensing
What are the best technologies to help protect wildlife?
WILDLABS has produced a first-of-its-kind report assessing the current field of conservation technology and various tools’ ability to diagnose, understand and address the most critical environmental challenges.
The report contains the findings of a survey of 248 conservationists and technologists across 37 countries about the tools currently being used in the field to protect wildlife.
The research, backed by Arm and Microsoft, has identified the top three tech innovations seen as potential ‘game changers’ for advancing conservation goals. More than 90% of respondents rated each of the top three emerging technologies as ‘very helpful’ or ‘game changers’. Although these three technologies ranked among the lowest when it came to current overall performance, their promising trajectories show their substantial room for and likelihood of further development, potentially making them areas ripe for investment and exploration.
They are:
- Artificial intelligence (AI), specifically machine learning and computer vision
- Environmental DNA (eDNA) and genomics
- Networked sensors
How can AI help to protect wildlife?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being used in the field to analyse information collected by wildlife conservationists, from camera trap and satellite images to audio recordings. AI can learn how to identify which photos out of thousands contain rare species; or pinpoint an animal call out of hours of field recordings – hugely reducing the manual labour required to collect vital conservation data.
Thermal cameras are able to find and monitor endangered animals automatically. Machine learning can tell species apart from their unique thermal shapes. Credit: Dr Claire Burke, @CBurkeSci
Environmental DNA (eDNA) collected from snow tracks is useful for identification of mammalian species, including Japanese martens. Credit: iNaturalist
What is eDNA and how can it contribute to conservation efforts?
Environmental DNA (eDNA) is being used by pioneering conservationists to collect a wealth of biodiversity data quickly and easily, simply by scanning samples of water or soil. Traces of animal DNA can reveal the presence of previously unobserved species in a local area. A few small samples can contain the DNA of dozens of species and give a detailed snapshot of an ecosystem quickly and efficiently, data that can be used to make the case for greater protections for an area.
What are networked sensors?
Networked sensors allow camera traps, acoustic recorders, tracking devices and other conservation hardware to connect online, forming a comprehensive picture of animal movements and behaviour, becoming the ‘eyes and ears’ of conservationists and local communities, enabling monitoring, tracking and instant alerts about imminent threats.
How can we scale up conservation technology?
Protecting and restoring nature is the most pressing task facing humanity this century – and this research is further evidence of the huge contribution that technology has to play. Innovations in areas like DNA sequencing and artificial intelligence are allowing us to understand the natural world and conserve wildlife in new, more efficient and often more effective ways, safeguarding species from extinction.
Now we need governments, philanthropists and the private sector – including the tech giants – to put their weight behind the technological revolution in conservation with support and funding for conservationists worldwide to use technology to protect wildlife.
A trained raptor carries custom bioacoustics and video equipment as it flies through swarms of bats to better understand echolocation. Credit: Laura Kloepper, Ph.D. @ProfLKloepper
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Harnessing technology
As the pace of technological change continues to accelerate, our challenge is to channel these developments into positiv...