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Climate Change / Feed

The conservation tech community has the power to help us understand and overcome the enormous challenges posed by climate change. Join our Climate Change group to meet others who are passionate about using their expertise to innovate new solutions and find reasons to be optimistic about tech's potential in the fight against climate disasters.

discussion

Anyone using InVEST?

Elsa Carla De Grandi

10 July 2025 1:31pm

InVEST 3.16.0 has been release! with a new Plugin feature. From the InVEST Workbench users can install a 3rd party InVEST-like model which can be...

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Elsa Carla De Grandi

5 August 2025 7:27pm

If you're curious about InVEST I just created a page in "The Inventory" (see link on this page) with some resources and just wanted to hlighlight some potentially interesting models that are worth having a look at!

  • Habitat Quality: this model uses habitat quality and rarity as proxies to represent the biodiversity of a landscape, estimating the extent of habitat and vegetation types across a landscape, and their state of degradation.
  • Habitat Risk Assessment: this model evaluates risks posed to coastal and marine habitats in terms of exposure to human activities and the habitat-specific consequence of that exposure for delivery of ecosystem services.

  • Crop Pollination: this model focuses on wild pollinators providing an ecosystem service. The model estimates insect pollinator nest sites, floral resources, and flight ranges to derive an index of pollinator abundance on each cell on a landscape. If desired, the model can creates an index of the value of these pollinators to agricultural production, and attributes this value back to source cells.

     

Liz Ferguson

8 August 2025 2:23pm

Hi Elsa, 

We have used InVEST for a pollinator project we supported (the crop pollination model - details here), and looking to using it more for marine and coastal applications so really appreciate the details you shared here! 

Cheers, 

Liz

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Link

The RCoE Geoportal

Elsa Carla De Grandi

5 August 2025 9:33pm

The RCoE Geoportal provides comprehensive forest datasets that can help governments, researchers, and conservationists make informed decisions. From deforestation trends to forest cover analysis, these datasets offer valuable insights for managing our natural resources.

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discussion

GIS and AI on deforestation and Climate Change

Sebastine Christian

29 July 2025 3:10pm

I'm working on establishing relevant and insightful relationship between deforestation and rainfall amount and durability in North-Eastern part of Nigeria. By leveraging GIS and...

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Alex Rood

29 July 2025 4:02pm

Hi Sebastine! Thanks for sharing this. What are you looking for from the WILDLABS community? (Collaborators, advice, networking, etc.) 

Elsa Carla De Grandi

5 August 2025 7:30pm

Would be interested to learn more! What data, software and tools are you using to build your models?

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discussion

 Support the Cartographer Cause!

CathyNj

27 June 2025 11:45am

Support the Cartographer Cause! Hi there,I am on a mission to empower children and communities through maps, GIS — helping people better understand their environment, access...

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discussion

Gulf of America Dead Zone Restoration

Chad Richardson

9 June 2025 9:49pm

Hello all,I’ve recently become aware of the Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone, a 6,500-square-mile hypoxic area caused by agricultural runoff from 32...

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Chad Richardson

21 June 2025 6:22am

Hi WILDLABS Community! I have started mapping the project for the Gulf of America Dead Zone and here are some photos of the progress. 

 

In the last picture, I have included WILDLABS entities at random and I will be mapping them to the industry collaborators we are seeking. 

 

I hope to have any interested parties please reach out and if you'd like to contribute your technology, wisdom, or just follow along, I appreciate it! Thank you

 

 

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discussion

New Group Proposal: Systems Builders & PACIM Designers

Chad Richardson

18 June 2025 2:52pm

Co-Creating Collective Impact Across the Conservation Technology EcosystemDear WILDLABS Community,I am proposing the creation of a new WILDLABS group focused on...

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Frank van der Most

19 June 2025 9:08am

Hi Chad,

Thanks for the text. As I read it, PACIMs play a role in something else/bigger, but it doesn't explain what PACIMs are or what they look like. Now I've re-read your original post, I'm thinking, maybe I do understand, but then I feel the concept is too big (  an entire system can be part of a PACIM ? ) to get going within a WildLabs group. And you want to develop 10 PACIMS within a year through this group? Don't get me wrong, I am all for some systems change, but perhaps you're aiming too high. 

Chad Richardson

19 June 2025 12:19pm

Hello again sir - PACIMs really mean 'projects' is the way I see it. Each part of the acronym can be seen as a project (if you have an assignment to do, you have a project really).

 

As for your query on 10 projects in 'this' group - I should ask for clarification if you mean particularly acoustics or in any group (I see now this is the acoustics thread after I selected all the groups for this post). If you are asking on acoustics, you're right - I am unsure on 10 as I am not too keen on acoustics yet. If you are asking 10 projects as a whole like 10 projects in the funding and finance group - I believe 10 to be a very reasonable number. Our projects we have co-created are for the most part replicable, rapidly deployable, quickly scalable, fundable through blended finance and more. 

 

Thank you again for the feedback.

Frank van der Most

19 June 2025 1:43pm

Thank you for your reply, Chad

I 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 first post you explain PACIM stands for "Projects, Assignments, Campaigns, Initiatives, Movements, and Systems", so I understood it as more than just projects. Obviously, many things can be packed into a project or called a project, but then, what does it mean that 'Projects' is part of the list?

Well, if you think 10 projects is doable, then don't let me stop you.

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discussion

Involve our young learners in climate change action.

CathyNj

27 March 2024 3:24pm

I am to present a conference paper this June in Bulgaria. Title of the paper is  "Integrating geospatial techniques into learners' school curriculum to mitigate climate...

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discussion

PhD Advice

Ethan Marburger

22 April 2025 1:34am

Hey Everyone!First post here. I'll be graduating soon with a Master's degree in Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology from NC State and am looking to continue my education...

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Rob Appleby

4 May 2025 4:14pm

Hi @ethanmarburger, I am probably not the best to give advice here given that it took me nearly two decades to actually finish my PhD, but I'd aim for something that you are really interested in so that you can keep up a high momentum. If you love your project you are more likely to cruise through the 'grind' periods. In terms of networking, WILDLABS is definitely a great place to start! You may well find some connections just looking across the threads here, and reaching out to people that are doing work you are interested in. More broadly, and depending on where you are in the world, you might be able to volunteer or even get some work on projects in your area, which can be a good way to get a foot in the door to larger research projects. You could possibly look at helping out on some analysis of spatial/AI datasets etc, or reach out to not-for-profits and conservation charities and see what they need/you might be able to help with - but try and be as specific as possible so they know straight away what you are after. Just a few quick ideas off the top of my head, and more than happy to discuss further. My best for your search!

Cheers,

Rob

Alan Dorin

19 May 2025 12:29am

Hi Ethan, It's indeed a competitive area. My advice for you (and anybody else seeking a PhD supervisor)...

  1. Do background research on each individual potential supervisor and always approach them demonstrating your alignment with their research focus.
  2. Show that you have read and understood one or two of their key (relevant) papers in your initial email to them.
  3. Have in mind something relevant to you AND to the potential supervisor, to propose as a topic in your initial email to them. But, remain open to their ideas - there's a good chance they have something that would align with your interests and that would (more) smoothly generate a successful PhD than you might have come up with ;-)
  4. Write clearly and succinctly.
  5. Demonstrate enthusiasm and highlight any relevant past experience and engagement in the relevant area (briefly).
  6. Attach a PDF CV.
  7. Apply for PhD positions in areas where you are qualified.
  8. Evidence that you have published a good paper, especially as first author, from your Masters thesis would be a bonus.

This is a time-consuming process. But you may end up spending 3+ years working with this supervisor, and vice versa. It's important for all concerned that you (and they) make a good, informed decision.

Good luck in your search!

Alan.

 

 

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article

Fires in the Serengeti: Burn Severity & Remote Sensing with Earth Engine

Vance Russell

29 April 2025 6:16pm

Fires in Serengeti and Masai Mara National Parks have burned massive areas this year. With Google Earth Engine, it's possible to quantify burn severity using the normalized burn ratio function, then calculate the total...

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Vance Russell

1 May 2025 11:44am

This was originally presented on 24 April, 2025 as part of a Geospatial Group Cafe. We will post the recording and highlights from other speakers of that session soon!
Elsa Carla De Grandi

10 June 2025 5:39pm

Thanks for presenting this during our Geospatial Cafe! Looks very useful! I wonder if, to get rid or the haze, smoke and clouds you could try using the...
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discussion

From Field to Funder: How to communicate impact?

Léa Smadja

16 April 2025 3:51pm

Conservation involves a mosaic of actors — field practitioners, local communities, funders, government agencies, scientists, and more.Each one needs different levels of...

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Frank van der Most

17 April 2025 5:04pm

Great questions @LeaOpenForests !

I don't have concrete answers since I am not a stakeholder in any project in particular. Based on experience with research on the potential for a similar one-stop-shop for science metrics, I would suggest that there is no simple solution: different actors do need and have different views on presenting and viewing impact. This means possible gaps between what one group of actors need and what the other is willing or able to produce. One can hope, search and aim for sufficient overlap, but I don't see how they would necessarily or naturally overlap.

Still, I would guess that if there are dimensions of overlap, they are time, space and actor-networks 

Amber Balfour-Cunningham

28 April 2025 3:18pm

I have posted about this in a different group, but I love boosting the impact of my communication through use of visuals. 

Free graphics relating to conservation technology and the environment are available at:

  1. National Environmental Science Program Graphics Library

    Graphics below of a feral cat with a tracking collar and a cat grooming trap are examples of symbols available courtesy of the NESP Resilient Landscapes Hub, nesplandscapes.edu.au.

  2. UMCES Integration and Application Network Media Library
Feral cat with tracking collar courtesy of the NESP Resilient Landscapes Hub, nesplandscapes.edu.au

Cat grooming trap graphic courtesy of the NESP Resilient Landscapes Hub, nesplandscapes.edu.au

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discussion

Beekeeping training center/field school

Muganyizi Melchior Kamuganga

3 April 2025 10:38am

Greetings from Tanzania ,Lake zone Tanzania Beekeeping field schoolI am a founder of none for profit organization based in North-western Tanzania. Currently am designing a...

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Travis Butler

8 April 2025 9:17am

Hi, I'm really interested in your project. If you're open to it, I’d be happy to build and send you a couple of data logger units — free of charge — to help monitor temperature, humidity, pressure, and possibly hive weight using a load cell. I’m also considering adding a simple bee traffic sensor to track how often bees enter and leave the hive. This could help reveal patterns related to foraging behavior or colony stress. 

 It would also be an interesting use case for using LoRaWAN to send node data to a central gateway. The data could be exported in line protocol format so you can easily import it into InfluxDB or another dashboarding tool if you'd like to visualize it.

 I’m quite busy with other projects, but I’d be happy to throw something together to get you started, and I’ll include the source code in case you'd like to modify or expand it in the future. Let me know if this sounds helpful — I'd love to support your work.

 Best regards, Travis

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Link

Understanding the 2025 US Tariffs: Risks for Clean Tech and Conservation Progress

Henry Rees

7 April 2025 12:22pm

​If, like me, you are curious about the broad impact that the 2025 tariffs may have on sustainability and green energy progress then this article by Evelyne Hoffman offers an in-depth analysis of the short and long-term concerns, highlighting the increase in costs for green tech

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funding

Multiple grants

Frank van der Most

28 March 2025 1:42pm

I have been a bit distracted the past months by my move from Costa Rica to Spain ( all went well, thank you, I just miss the rain forest and the Ticos ) and have to catch up on funding calls. Because I still have little...

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event

Cloud-Native Geospatial Conference

Earthmover

26 March 2025 3:40pm

CNG Conference is where geospatial data users gather to create the future of our industry together. Learn how experts at NOAA, Planet, the World Bank, and others are using geospatial data and AI to solve some of the...

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funding

AI Weather Quest

Alex Rood

25 March 2025 5:07pm

The AI Weather Quest, organised by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), is an ambitious international competition designed to harness artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in...

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event

DC Climate Week

Alex Rood

19 March 2025 4:06pm

DC Climate Week (DCCW) will establish Washington, DC, as the nation’s center of climate innovation by providing opportunities to engage with policymakers, fund climate solutions, and showcase cutting-edge technologies...

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Link

Utilizing Artificial Intelligence to Reduce the Impact of Climate Change on Wildlife

Alex Rood

10 March 2025 5:42pm

This thesis concludes that artificial intelligence offers valuable opportunities for mitigating the impacts of climate change on wildlife with careful consideration of its limitations and ethical implications.

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Read "Utilizing Artificial Intelligence to Reduce the Impact of Climate Change on Wildlife" on Zenodo

Utilizing Artificial Intelligence to Reduce the Impact of Climate Change on Wildlife

AbstractCurrent anthropogenic climate change poses a significant threat to biodiversity, rapidly driving species towards extinction. Wildlife conservation relies on the speed and accuracy of processing environmental data, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a promising tool to assist wildlife conservation efforts. This thesis conducts a literature review to explore how artificial intelligence is being utilized to mitigate the impacts of climate change on wildlife. It examines the key applications of artificial intelligence, such as monitoring wildlife, predicting species distribution under climate effects, mitigation solutions, and poaching and trafficking detection. This literature review focuses on identifying the effective artificial intelligence models in current conservation practices, highlighting their capabilities, challenges, and limitations. The findings suggest that artificial intelligence can significantly enhance wildlife monitoring and conservation planning, as well as providing tools to predict environmental changes and plan mitigation strategies. However, certain challenges including technical limitations, ethical considerations, and data availability remain obstacles to utilizing the full potential of artificial intelligence in this field. Future research should focus on the development of unified species databases, identifying the most reliable models, Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI), and cost-effective solutions, while addressing ethical issues. This thesis concludes that artificial intelligence offers valuable opportunities for mitigating the impacts of climate change on wildlife with careful consideration of its limitations and ethical implications.

Zenodo
Link

Saving Peatlands, Securing Our Climate Future

Elsa Carla De Grandi

21 February 2025 8:32am

Excellent StoryMap by WCS illustrating results from a recent paper https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/conl.13080. Main findings: analysis revealed that 17% of peatlands are protected globally—substantially less than many other high-value ecosystems.

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discussion

Climate changes in wildlife protected areas

Nora Noel

14 August 2024 11:26am

Hello! Good day everyone?I have a query about climate change and i would appreciate to get some ideas from you.I am volunteering in a national park, ecologist and i am interested...

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Adventina Nyanjobe Anthony

14 August 2024 5:27pm

Hi Norah! 
This is a great concern! Kudos! 
Climate change data especially for such a long time can help us answer a lot of questions including the few listed below:

  1. How has the climate variability affected the trend of species in the ecosystem? (You can choose to study a specific specie of animal or plant) and respond on their increase and (or) extinction.
  2. How has climate variability affected or supported the survival rate of introduced species?
  3. Climate variability is one among many factors of invasion, how is the invasion rate in your ecosystem?
  4. You can also answer on the general topic of your ecosystem’s health with the data! 

    I would love to read a paper from the data you have! Very resourceful! 
    Break the leg! 
Tatenda Hanyani

11 February 2025 5:17pm

I agree Adventina. I am also interested in "How has the climate variability affected the trend of BAT species in the ecosystem? and respond on their increase and (or) extinction.

 

@Norah, I am also interested in the findings regardless of the species you pick. In 2022 - 2023 we created a climate database for an NGO project in Amhara, Ethiopia. It would be cool to come up with a climate variability databasa for the park.

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