My name is Sarah Maagi, I'm one of the participants of the WiCT program in 2023, Tanzania  cohort. Since completing the program, I have successfully secured an internship with the Grumeti Fund, where I have been actively engaged with the research teams, applying the skills acquired during the training to address real-life conservation challenges on the field.

I used the Grant received from our donor ARM project to buy a  computer which have eased my works as I interning with Grumeti Fund. Also I have been using this device to get into online trainings on QGIS, Google Earth Engine and data analysis. During my internship, I have been deeply involved in a Bush meat project, where my responsibilities included mapping and identifying hotspots of animal snaring, animal mortality, poaching arrests, and bush meat confiscation using data sourced from Earth Ranger. This information has proven to be invaluable for management planning and decision-making processes. Additionally, I have been exposed to a variety of tools used for collecting geographical information essential for wildlife research. I have utilized Google Earth Engine (GEE) to download raster data for environmental covariates such as elevation, land cover, fire frequency, and last burn to analyze their correlation with animal sightings. I have been participate on doing vegetation composition assessment with the team of experts, to see if the plants species are increasing or decreasing in the area. Also, I have collected data on the distribution of the invasive species Guternbergia cordifolia in the Grumeti Game Reserve. I employed CyberTracker and Avenza applications to track and mark affected areas, calculate the area covered, and map the distribution of this species using QGIS software.

The resources provided during the WiCT program, coupled with the network I have built during and after the program, have been instrumental in enabling me to undertake these projects. The ongoing mentorship and coaching have not only bolstered my confidence but have also honed my spatial analysis skills. I am deeply appreciative of the WiCT program for affording me the opportunity to learn from experienced professionals in the field and for introducing me to the realm of conservation technology.