With new technologies revolutionizing data collection, wildlife researchers are becoming increasingly able to collect data at much higher volumes than ever before. Now we are facing the challenges of putting this information to use, bringing the science of big data into the conservation arena. With the help of machine learning tools, this area holds immense potential for conservation practices. The applications range from online trafficking alerts to species-specific early warning systems to efficient movement and biodiversity monitoring and beyond.
However, the process of building effective machine learning tools depends upon large amounts of standardized training data, and conservationists currently lack an established system for standardization. How to best develop such a system and incentivize data sharing are questions at the forefront of this work. There are currently multiple AI-based conservation initiatives, including Wildlife Insights and WildBook, that are pioneering applications on this front.
This group is the perfect place to ask all your AI-related questions, no matter your skill level or previous familiarity! You'll find resources, meet other members with similar questions and experts who can answer them, and engage in exciting collaborative opportunities together.
Just getting started with AI in conservation? Check out our introduction tutorial, How Do I Train My First Machine Learning Model? with Daniel Situnayake, and our Virtual Meetup on Big Data. If you're coming from the more technical side of AI/ML, Sara Beery runs an AI for Conservation slack channel that might be of interest. Message her for an invite.
Header Image: Dr Claire Burke / @CBurkeSci
Explore the Basics: AI
Understanding the possibilities for incorporating new technology into your work can feel overwhelming. With so many tools available, so many resources to keep up with, and so many innovative projects happening around the world and in our community, it's easy to lose sight of how and why these new technologies matter, and how they can be practically applied to your projects.
Machine learning has huge potential in conservation tech, and its applications are growing every day! But the tradeoff of that potential is a big learning curve - or so it seems to those starting out with this powerful tool!
To help you explore the potential of AI (and prepare for some of our upcoming AI-themed events!), we've compiled simple, key resources, conversations, and videos to highlight the possibilities:
Three Resources for Beginners:
- Everything I know about Machine Learning and Camera Traps, Dan Morris | Resource library, camera traps, machine learning
- Using Computer Vision to Protect Endangered Species, Kasim Rafiq | Machine learning, data analysis, big cats
- Resource: WildID | WildID
Three Forum Threads for Beginners:
- I made an open-source tool to help you sort camera trap images | Petar Gyurov, Camera Traps
- Batch / Automated Cloud Processing | Chris Nicolas, Acoustic Monitoring
- Looking for help with camera trapping for Jaguars: Software for species ID and database building | Carmina Gutierrez, AI for Conservation
Three Tutorials for Beginners:
- How do I get started using machine learning for my camera traps? | Sara Beery, Tech Tutors
- How do I train my first machine learning model? | Daniel Situnayake, Tech Tutors
- Big Data in Conservation | Dave Thau, Dan Morris, Sarah Davidson, Virtual Meetups
Want to know more about AI, or have your specific machine learning questions answered by experts in the WILDLABS community? Make sure you join the conversation in our AI for Conservation group!
- @sruizguz
- | He / Him / His
Laboratory research technician at the Kitzes lab - University of Pittsburgh. My research focuses on acoustic monitoring for ecology and conservation.
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 4 Groups
- @jenlaw
- | She/Her
Biodiversity scientist specialising specialising in the study of tropical ecosystems and their biodiversity using multiple forms of technology, including acoustics, images and robotics.
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 14 Groups
- @Johnolang
- | Him/he
My name is John Olang. Currently a master of student at IHE, Delft Netherlands in LImnology and Wetland Management
- 0 Resources
- 1 Discussions
- 7 Groups
World Wide Fund for Nature/ World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
- 0 Resources
- 7 Discussions
- 12 Groups
The University of Queensland
Passionate about using technology and data to solve conservation issues.
- 0 Resources
- 2 Discussions
- 9 Groups
- @ldbraunholtz
- | she/her
(Tropical) forest ecologist w interest: biodiversity, camera traps, community led conservation & more. Passionate about inclusive nature for all.
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 10 Groups
- @Riley
- | she/they
I'm a Data Scientist at Western EcoSystems Technology. I am interested in AI processing and statistical modeling of acoustic data and camera trap and drone imagery.
- 2 Resources
- 2 Discussions
- 5 Groups
- @jscanass
- | he/him
University College London (UCL) & Red Ecoacústica Colombiana
PhD Student at UCL
- 0 Resources
- 1 Discussions
- 8 Groups
- 9 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 4 Groups
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 2 Groups
- @Gathoni
- | Her/she
PhD Candidate at Nottingham Trent University, UK. Ecologist with a passion for wildlife conservation and conservation technology with foundational training in BSc and MSc Rangeland Management (Ecology option). Current project: Use of acoustics to monitor ecosystem restoration.
- 5 Resources
- 8 Discussions
- 8 Groups
- @parlaynu
- | he/him
software engineer
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 13 Groups
Article
More than half of all primate species are endangered, including our closest living relative, the chimpanzee. Could Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) be applied to primates as well as it has been for other taxa? In this...
29 June 2016
Article
TEAM Network and Wildlife Insights
Eric Fegraus
Operating the largest tropical forest camera trap network globally, TEAM Network has accumulated over 2.6 million images. How can large datasets coupled with new techniques for data management and analysis provide...
28 April 2016
Article
Camera traps have revolutionised wildlife research and conservation, enabling scientists to collect photographic evidence of rarely seen and often globally endangered species, with low expense, relative ease, and...
20 April 2016
Article
ContentMine: Mining Helpful Facts for Conservation
Jenny Molloy
Thousands of papers and reports about flora and fauna are published each year. While peer-reviewed published information is vitally important to conservation organisations, the ever-increasing mountain of information...
5 April 2016
Article
When Victoria Espinel, President and CEO of BSA | The Software Alliance, spoke at the WWF Fuller Symposium, she took us on a whistle-stop tour of case studies where software and data are transforming our understanding...
10 March 2016
Funding
Ecotech Grants from the Captain Planet Foundation
WILDLABS Admin
The Captain Planet Foundation is offering EcoTech grants in the amount of $2,500 to engage children in inquiry-based project in STEM fields.
18 February 2016
Article
Report outlines 2016's most pressing conservation issues
Olivia Bailey
New horizon scanning report published this month identifies 15 emerging threats and opportunities for global biodiversity.
3 February 2016
Article
Wildlife Crime Tech Challenge: Winners Announced!
WILDLABS Admin
From artificial “sniffer” technologies to portable DNA sequencers, the Wildlife Crime Tech Challenge received hundreds of innovative ideas to help stamp out wildlife crime. Now, the Challenge is proud to announce 16...
22 January 2016
Article
Big Data and Conservation: Deluge or Drought?
WILDLABS Admin
Dr. Lucas Joppa, Scientist at Microsoft Research, considers the evolving impact of data in conservation and society. He examines the difference between ‘big data’ and ‘small data’, and explores how models such as the...
22 December 2015
Article
Cheap Space, DIY Imaging and Big Data
WILDLABS Admin
John Amos, President of SkyTruth, explores how remote sensing is being used in conservation today and the importance of sky-truthing. He examines the role that citizen scientists can play in increasing transparency in...
21 December 2015
Article
The Impact of the Internet of Things
WILDLABS Admin
Gary Atkinson, Director of Emerging Technologies at ARM, explains why we should be interested in the Internet of Things. Could it be a game changer for conservation?
10 December 2015
Article
Harnessing Big Data to Combat Illegal Wildlife, Timber and Fisheries Trade
Rachel Kramer and 2 more
The 2015 Fuller Symposium brought together thought leaders in science, policy, business, conservation and development to tackle emerging issues facing our planet. This framing piece was developed to support a Fuller...
26 November 2015
June 2025
event
Nalini
July 2025
October 2025
event
Lacey Hughey and 3 more
October 2023
event
Sasha Sebright
73 Products
Recently updated products
16 Products
Recently updated products
| Description | Activity | Replies | Groups | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Odor based methods would be interesting. Provided they didn't need to be replenished too often.We find varied stimulus prevents habituation. |
+6
|
AI for Conservation, Conservation Tech Training and Education, Emerging Tech, Human-Wildlife Conflict | 7 months 4 weeks ago | |
| Thank you John. |
|
AI for Conservation | 8 months ago | |
| Hello everyone!Check out our new paper on "Reliable and efficient integration of AI into camera traps for smart wildlife monitoring." We... |
|
AI for Conservation | 8 months 1 week ago | |
| Hi Karen,Yeah the discharge curves of lithium cells tend to be very stable for a long time and then drop sharply at the end. Akiba and Brett's advice below re: condensation... |
|
Camera Traps, AI for Conservation | 8 months 1 week ago | |
| Hi @benweinstein !Surely a general detector might be very useful for detecting objects in aerial imagery! Maybe something similar to what MegaDetector does in camera trap images,... |
|
AI for Conservation, Open Source Solutions, Protected Area Management Tools, Drones, Geospatial | 8 months 1 week ago | |
| Thank you!! |
|
AI for Conservation | 8 months 3 weeks ago | |
| Agreed. I have recently begun using SegmentAnything as a replacement for Detectron and have been very pleased. However, for a fish school I don't know how well it would do out of... |
|
Data management and processing tools, AI for Conservation | 9 months ago | |
| @DibblexLesalon looks like a great question for your team at Expert Drones Africa :) |
|
AI for Conservation | 9 months 1 week ago | |
| However, I think it's important to reflect further to determine exactly what needs to be done. |
+8
|
Climate Change, AI for Conservation, Animal Movement, Citizen Science | 9 months 1 week ago | |
| Congrats on the publication! Great work! |
|
AI for Conservation | 9 months 1 week ago | |
| The German start-up Dryad is also working on early fire detection using sensors and AI. |
|
AI for Conservation | 9 months 1 week ago | |
| I found this interesting |
+48
|
AI for Conservation, Emerging Tech | 9 months 2 weeks ago |
