Welcome back to the incredibly sporadic series in which I give you a quick run through five things from the conservation tech world that have caught my attention in recent weeks.

Before we get into it, a note.. I seem to launch this series aspirationally every year, so while I'd love to run this as a monthly blog, I'm making no promises about when the next update will appear. It may be next month, it may be next year! So enjoy this update, and let me know in the comments below what news has caught your eye - getting some comments may guilt me into more regular updates, and I'd also love to learn about some new projects or people that haven't popped up in my feeds!

1. Felipe Spina Avino: Improving connectivity to strengthen the Monitoring and Protection of Indigenous Territories in the Brazilian Amazon

Longtime WILDLABS member @Felipe_spina shared an update on his work contributing to the 'Connection Peoples of the Forest' project. This initiative is increasing the capacity of indigenous peoples to monitor and protect the Amazon by improving their access to fast internet in the Indigenous Territories of the Brazilian Amazon in the states of Rondônia and Acre. The project aims to bring fast internet by 2025 to about 1 million people from more than 5,000 indigenous, quilombola and riverine communities scattered throughout the Brazilian Amazon. Check out Felipe's workshop update below and learn more about this work here.

#conexaopovosdafloresta #coiab #conaq #cns #amazon #conservation #wwf | Felipe Spina Avino

Melhorando a conectividade para fortalecer o Monitoramento e a Proteção dos Territórios Indígenas na Amazônia Brasileira. Tenho orgulho de ter passado os últimos dias contribuindo para aumentar a capacidade dos povos indígenas de monitorar e proteger a Amazônia, melhorando seu acesso à internet rápida, nos Territórios Indígenas da Amazônia brasileira nos estados de Rondônia e Acre. Esta ação foi possível graças ao apoio do projeto independente “Conexão Povos da Floresta” liderado pela Coordenação das Organizações Indígenas da Amazônia Brasileira (Coiab), Coordenação Nacional de Articulação das Comunidades Negras Rurais Quilombolas (Conaq) e Conselho Nacional das Populações Extrativistas (CNS). O projeto tem como objetivo levar internet rápida, até 2025, para cerca de 1 milhão de pessoas de mais de 5 mil comunidades indígenas, quilombolas e ribeirinhas espalhadas pela Amazônia brasileira. A ideia não é ter internet pela internet. O projeto pretende atuar no fortalecimento de cinco áreas: saúde, educação, proteção territorial, empreendedorismo e cultura/ancestralidade. O objetivo é levar a internet para que as comunidades possam ajudar no combate ao desmatamento, e às atividades ilegais, podendo denunciar com mais rapidez invasões e pressões em seus territórios. Bem como permitir o acesso à telemedicina, ao ensino à distância, impulsionar o empreendedorismo digital e apoiar atividades de bioeconomia. Descubra mais: https://lnkd.in/ePN8etMC https://lnkd.in/eCQ2q6yy #Conexaopovosdafloresta #COIAB #CONAQ #CNS #Amazon #conservation #WWF

2. Shan Shui Conservation Centre: Bear Warning System

Effective Early Warning Systems have a significant role to play in alleviating Human-Wildlife Conflict, and incorporating AI into these systems is an ongoing challenge. I'm curious to hear more about this system shared by the Shah Shui Conservation Centre: 'We are testing out the bear warning system in Sangjiangyuan. When AI identified bears in the real-time image, it sends SMS to residents. In 1 month, the system sent 858 bear warnings, with 98% accuracy rate. We will further optimize the system and explore effective bear proofs'. We'll see what we can do to get them onto Variety Hour so we can find out more!

3. Katie Dunkley: Open-Source design guide for a low-cost, long-running aquatic stereo camera

We're seeing this new open access publication from Kate Dunkley and co getting a heap of attention on our socials, so it's definitely answering an innovation challenge from the marine community. They've developed and shared a t complete hardware and software solutions for a long-running, open-source, underwater stereo camera rig, costing £1337. This stereo camera can continuously record aquatic species and their behaviours/interactions in high resolution (1080 p and 30 fps) and in 3D, over multiple days. They provide full design guides for the cameras and a travel-friendly rig, and include guidance and open-source code for calibrating the cameras in space and time. They also show how these cameras could be used to track animals' body parts and positions, and how their size, posture and behaviour can be inferred.

So, if you've ever wanted to continuously film underwater species and their behaviours for up to 2 days at a low cost, learn more here.

4. Matthew Stanton: Tracking Koalas & Milsar GPS tag review

The cute tagged koala sealed this, but I also found @M_Stanton's review of his experience with Milsar GPS tags a thoughtful read, and a great reply to @ChristineWilkinson's ask for recommendations for GPS-GSM collars. Check out his reply to see an outline of the benefits and challenges his project experienced using the milsar units. Read more >

5. Kevin Brown: Follow for fundraising insights (on linkedin)

This one is a bit of an odd one out, I'll admit, but it may prove to be incredibly useful for some of you! Fundraising is such a critical aspect of conservation and conservation tech projects, and concerns about funding consistently come out at the top of the challenges our community talks about facing in their responses to our State of Conservation Tech survey every year. So if fundraising is at all part of your work, Kevin might be someone to follow on linkedin.

I find that his posts vary from useful prompts to nudge and refine how I'm thinking about fundraising, pitching and branding, to more in-depth insights in the global funding landscape. I've pulled out a few of my favourite posts below, so you can have a quick taste of what he talks about:

#fundraising #nonprofit #brand | Kevin L. Brown | 55 comments

4 insights for your impact data and #fundraising: 1️⃣ You can’t raise money with an RCT alone. 2️⃣ An M&E report (itself) doesn’t land you funding. 3️⃣ Everyone is claiming ‘evidence based’ these days. 4️⃣ Testimonials often outperform other forms of measurement. In an aid-effectiveness study, thousands of German donors said that anecdotal evidence (testimonials) resonates more than other evidence like experimental (M&E) and qualitative (field observations). Because “data are just summaries of thousands of stories,” says the book Made to Stick. Telling a few of those stories is what makes the data stick. That’s why a fact wrapped in a story is 22 times more memorable. We’ve seen #nonprofit clients with a sexy randomized control trial (RCT) that were far from fundable. Some of them boasting an ‘evidence base’ of ‘proven impact’ didn’t even have a theory of change. Their brand and fundraising fell flat. On the other hand, most of our clients don’t have RCTs or fancy monitoring and evaluation (M&E) — but are raising millions of dollars. Nobody has figured out how to solve poverty and injustice. Foundations and donors mostly place bets on leaders, their ideas, healthy organizations, and signs of progress. Not because of perfect impact data. So storytelling is how you communicate a better world that doesn’t exist. Then invite funders into it. Not through perfect impact data. We run a three-year training program for the Dovetail Impact Foundation early-stage portfolio. They’re big on results. Heck, ‘impact’ is in their name. But we spend the entire first year guiding organizations to get their theory of change, positioning strategy, communications, and pitch deck in order. Only in the second year do our allies start training on M&E. #Brand first. Sure, impact data can really boost donor retention — after the storytelling honeymoon has ended. And sure, impact data certainly matters a lot more as you scale beyond the growth stage. Especially for big aid funding. But many of you are still just trying to find sustainability. To get out of the rat race starvation cycle. So I’d say: Of course, measure your work. Of course, establish solid M&E systems. Of course, communicate the metrics (good and bad). But remember that data is only the condensed version of countless narratives. You must share those stories to give the numbers life. And to maximize your funding. Don’t just count numbers; make the numbers count. 💪🏽💛 ________________________________ If you enjoyed this daily brand insight: 1. Follow Kevin L. Brown to maximize your funding 2. Click the 🔔 to get notified about new posts 3. Like, comment, or repost below 👇🏽 | 55 comments on LinkedIn

#nonprofit #fundraising #strategy #brand | Kevin L. Brown | 48 comments

You don’t need new funders. Not until you’ve maximized the ones you have. Because donor retention beats donor acquisition. All day every day. Retention over acquisition is a well-known, well-practiced path to private sector brand growth. But the #nonprofit starvation cycle causes leaders to chase more, more, more… new, new, new… better, better, better. So let’s talk about this vital #fundraising data: 💡 Nearly 7 out of 10 donors will give once, and never again. 💡 Every $100 gained is offset by $96 in losses through donor attrition. 💡 The recapture rate of lapsed donors is just 5% — if they stop giving, the chances of them ever giving again are minimal. 💡 Most major gifts are made after 18–24 touchpoints and five years of smaller giving. 💡 The cost to continually acquire new donors runs 50% to 100% more than the dollars collected. What’s the solution to keep and grow existing donors? Create a new priority audience — just for them. Develop a positioning strategy — just for them. Generate value propositions — just for them. Execute a communications plan — just for them. Understand the fundraising data — just for them. In other words: brand #strategy — just for them. Because the grass isn’t always greener. Nurture the garden you have. No need to hunt for diamonds. Sometimes, you’re standing on the mine. (𝘋𝘢𝘵𝘢 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘴: 𝘈𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘍𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘴, 𝘉𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘔𝘢𝘫𝘰𝘳 𝘎𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘴) 💪🏽💛 ________________________________ If you enjoyed this daily #brand insight: 1. Follow Kevin L. Brown to maximize your funding 2. Click the 🔔 to get notified about new posts 3. Like, comment, or repost below 👇🏽 | 48 comments on LinkedIn

#india #foundations #philanthropy #nonprofits #brands | Kevin L. Brown | 332 comments

Stunning wealth inequality, even in philanthropy: Of 260,000 global foundations — just 47 in Africa. And 95% are based in Europe and North America. How about #India, the world’s most populous country? Only 583 known grantmaking foundations. The entirety of Latin America? 859. But it’s not just a disparity in the total number of philanthropic institutions. It’s the amount in assets too. #Foundations in the U.S. and Europe control 97% of the $1.5 trillion sitting in the bank. On the other hand, African foundations have a paltry 0.16% to give. India has even less, at only 0.05% of the funding pie. The Harvard researchers (source below) acknowledge the Global South data is incomplete. But that — in and of itself — is part of the problem. And let’s be honest: would a bit more data from the (relatively few and relatively small) African, Asian, and Latin American foundations move the needle on these figures? While we all may know the Global North dominates social sector funding, this study reflects a more grave picture. We’re far — far — from leveling the power imbalance in #philanthropy. What to do, then? I’m at a loss for words and solutions when so much deep-rooted history is at play. Lots to understand, unpack, undo. “Power concedes nothing without a demand,” Frederick Douglass once said. “It never did and it never will.” But it’s not the responsibility of #nonprofits and foundations in the Global South to fight this financial injustice. So if it’s up to foundation #brands in Europe and North America: ❓ Can we transfer more assets to funders in the Global South? That way, they decide how to grant it within their own communities. ❓ Can we start a joint venture in regions where foundations don’t exist? That way, there’s never a country without a robust and locally-led grantmaker. ❓ Can we add local team members in the Global South? That way, at least grantmaking decisions are proximate — since the money is not. ❓ And at the very least, can we fund more true local leaders? That way, we amplify those from where much of the wealth was extracted in the first place. Funder friends: what other steps do we take to fix this inequality? Somehow, we must shift this map. We must decolonize social sector wealth. (Source: The Global Philanthropy Report, Perspectives on the Global Foundation Sector — Center for Public Leadership at Harvard Kennedy School) h/t Lior Ipp at The Roddenberry Foundation for flagging this important data in his recent Stanford Social Innovation Review article, "Peer Nominations for a More Diverse Funding Pipeline" 💪🏽💛 ________________________________ If you enjoyed this daily brand insight: 1. Follow Kevin L. Brown to maximize your funding 2. Click the 🔔 to get notified about new posts 3. Like, comment, or repost below 👇🏽 | 332 comments on LinkedIn

Bonus (partial paywall): Careers in Sustainability and Climate, Fast Company Series

As a growing number of people decide to switch careers to work on climate change, Fast Company is running a series of interviews with people in climate-related jobs about their day-to-day work. They've featured Microsoft's new Chief Sustainability Officer Melanie Nakagawa, carbon removal startup founder Mary Yap, and Google's Chief Sustainability Officer, Kate Brandt.

Some interviews are behind a paywall, others are freely accessible, so I've included this as 'bonus' recommendation. There are some interesting insights into how corporates are thinking about sustainability and climate. Each interview illuminates potential career paths into climate work, insights that are relevant if you're looking to move into the conservation technology world more broadly.

To wrap this recommendation up, here is a highlight from the interview piece with Microsoft's Melanie Nakagawa:

FC: You’ve touched on this a little already, but what makes you optimistic that the world can address climate change?

MN: I think three things: [First], just seeing all the talent that’s coming into this space. There’s so many people from tech moving into climate tech. There’s some phenomenal CEOs. There are just so many incredibly talented people who are dedicating their life mission to sustainability. How can one not be optimistic when you see just this growing, talented workforce showing us that we can get there?

The second reason I’m optimistic is we started the flywheel of success already. Of course, there are questions around the speed and scale of that flywheel. But there already are successes. You have the world coming together in 2015 to demonstrate our global commitment to the climate challenge. You have large corporations not only making these pledges, but then showing their progress. You see more investment in this space, you see technology breakthroughs.

And then the optimism honestly comes from the technology breakthroughs we don’t even know about. Working at Microsoft and seeing where we are on AI, and the opportunity that AI has for dramatically scaling sustainability wins in this space, really fills me with even more optimism.

Aarhus University

Wildlabs.net : The conservation technology network

Wildlabs.net : The conservation technology network

article / 12 September 2023

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Stephanie O'Donnell

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