AI for Conservation

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Artificial intelligence 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.

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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!

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@Fatuma
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I aim to transition my career towards conservation technology after gaining two years of experience in the tech industry.

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@Heloise
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Bio-acoustician, marine biologist, marine mammal specialist, drone enthusiast

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@Dellecker

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@Ferrugem
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Latin American environmental scientist.

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@TempleB
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@katja
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AI/ML consultant for climate/environment solutions industry

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@karinnacvijanovich
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@amklovrza
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Hello! My name is Anabelle Marques Klovrza and I am a Ph.D. student at Dawson's lab. I am studying community assembly of island-like environments, and in trying to connect it with the vulnerability and fragility of the ecosystem.

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@Giu.Appel
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Brazilian biologist, PhD in Ecology and 10 yrs of experience in the Amazon with bat bioacoustics

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@Dominik
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PhD Student on bio- and ecoacoustics at the University of Freiburg (GER)

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@Janane.S.S

I am nature lover and now lost the tolerance to just be an admirer watching its destruction. Hence joining this crew to contribute my supportive work much lesser than a penny worth

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@ryanhuang
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Conservation scientist based in Pretoria, South Africa

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Description	Activity	Groups	Updated
New Group Proposal: Systems Builders & PACIM Designers	Thank you for your reply, ChadI meant 10 as a whole, indeed. Perhaps you see your post in one group, but since it is tagged for all groups, I assumed you meant 10 in total.In your...	Acoustics, AI for Conservation, Animal Movement, Camera Traps, Citizen Science, Climate Change, Community Base, Connectivity, Drones, eDNA & Genomics, Emerging Tech, Funding and Finance, Geospatial, Human-Wildlife Coexistence, Software Development, Wildlife Crime	1 month 4 weeks ago
ICCB 2025 – Let’s Connect!	Thanks Fadhilla! I met with your colleague Henrick at the booth. :-)	AI for Conservation, Animal Movement, Camera Traps, Citizen Science, Community Base, Data management and processing tools, Early Career, Geospatial	1 month 4 weeks ago
How drones, AI & Open Source Software are being used to combat Alien Invasive Plants in South Africa	Thank you for your comment Chris! Using these tools has made a huge difference in the way we can monitor and manage Invasive Alien Vegetation. I hope you are able to integrate...	AI for Conservation, Citizen Science, Conservation Tech Training and Education, Drones, Geospatial, Human-Wildlife Coexistence, Open Source Solutions	2 months ago
Documentary on Conservation	Hi Nick,Thank you for reaching out and for the incredible work you’re doing to spotlight conservation through film. We’d be very interested in learning more about your documentary...	AI for Conservation, Emerging Tech	2 months ago
Smart Drone to Tag Whales Project	I would love to hear updates on this if you have a mailing list or list of intersted parties!	AI for Conservation, Community Base, Drones, Latin America Community, Marine Conservation, Open Source Solutions, Software Development	2 months ago
Non-Invasive Turtle Nest Monitoring Using RTI Technology	Hello, could you please elaborate on what the purpose of this project is? Thanks a lot :) Lukas	AI for Conservation, Emerging Tech, Sensors	2 months 1 week ago
Help needed : Overview of Image Analysis and Visualization from Camera Traps	This survey on camera trap use is a valuable effort to improve data quality and consistency in wildlife monitoring. Looking forward to the results and how they will help shape...	Camera Traps, AI for Conservation, Open Source Solutions	2 months 2 weeks ago
AI/ML opportunities	Ritika, All the best! I hope someone provides a more substantive answer! I have also graduated with masters in AI and ML recently. Difference being I am at the end of my...	AI for Conservation, Software Development	3 months 4 weeks ago
WILDLABS AWARDS 2025 - Open-Access AI for Marine Mammal Acoustic Detection	We’re excited to announce that Deep Voice has received a 2025 Wildlabs Award to develop a public, web-based platform for marine mammal...	Acoustics, AI for Conservation, Marine Conservation	2 months 3 weeks ago
Dual-/Multi-Use Technology Strategies	True, the US ecosystem is a challenging space right now, for basically all sectors. We should not let the US chaos prevent us from engaging with opportunities in other...	AI for Conservation, Camera Traps, Connectivity, Drones, Emerging Tech, Ethics of Conservation Tech, Marine Conservation, Sensors	4 months ago
Enhancing automated analysis of marine soundscapes using eco-acoustic indices and machine learning	Fascinating article, combining machine learning and acoustical signals to correlate coral reef health.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science...	Acoustics, AI for Conservation, Marine Conservation	3 years 2 months ago
🦛 MIT Moo Deng AI Challenge Human-Nature Interaction 🦛	MIT has this Moo Deng-based fun challenge! More seriously it relates to AI and human-nature interaction. I imagine people on Wildlabs would...	AI for Conservation	2 months 3 weeks ago

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