In recent years, drone technologies have been explored for a range of applications in conservation including (but not limited to) mapping, biodiversity inventories, antipoaching patrols, wildlife tracking, and fire monitoring. The rise of customizable, open-source drones like those of ArduPilot and OpenROV hold promise for more effective conservation applications, and combined with other monitoring sensors and devices, they are capable of collecting high-resolution data quickly, noninvasively, and at relatively low cost.
However, challenges remain in putting these tools to use. A recent paper reviewing 256 conservation drone projects highlighted some of these major obstacles, ranging from unintended social and ecological consequences of drone operations to still prohibitive costs, both in terms of hardware and in terms of storing and processing large volumes of data. The longstanding challenge of power/battery life remains as well.
If you're considering trying out drones for yourself, and want to explore the possibilities and understand the major conversations happening around this technology, check out these beginner's resources and conversations from across the WILDLABS platform:
Three Resources for Beginners:
- Conservation Technology User Guidelines Issue 5: Drones, World Wildlife Fund | Drones, best practices, ethics, regulations, case studies
- WILDLABS Virtual Meetup Recording: Drones, Craig Elder, Dr. Claire Burke, and Gabriel Levin | Drones, thermal camera, wildlife crime, ML, biologging
- New Paper: Drones and Bornean Orangutan Distribution, Sol Milne | Drones, data analysis, citizen science, community science, primates
Three Forum Threads for Beginners:
- Curious about radio-tracking with drones? | Wildlife Drones, Biologging (5 replies)
- Drones for GIS Best practice Document | Adrian Hughes, Drones (10 replies)
- WWF Conservation Technology Series: Drones in Conservation | Aurélie Shapiro, Drones (7 replies)
Three Tutorials for Beginners:
- How do I use a drone to capture radio-tracking data? | Debbie Saunders, Tech Tutors
- How do I choose the right drone for my conservation goals? | Shashank Srinivasan, Tech Tutors
- How do I strategically allocate drones for conservation? | Elizabeth Bondi, Tech Tutors
Want to know more about using drones, and learn from experts in the WILDLABS community? Make sure you join the conversation in our Drones group!
*Header photo: Parker Levinson, Point Blue Conservation Science
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- @Tim_Hofmeester
- | he/him
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Researcher studying human-wildlife coexistence -- Camera trapper
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- @mattaudette
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Software Tester and Test Automator at Wildlife Protection Solutions
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- @ATM
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I studied Wildlife and Ecotourism Management in University of Ìbàdàn, Nigeria, I'm a front-end developer. I am interested in conservation technology
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- @williams
- | He/Him
I am a conservationist specializing in endangered species, particularly vultures. As the Endangered Species Conservation Coordinator/Co-Founder at Biota Conservation Hub Foundation (BiotaCHF), I have conducted extensive research/conservation of vultures and other water birds.
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Wildlife Protection Solutions (WPS)
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- @KathHecht
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I am a biologist/ecologist without concrete specialisation. New Zealand's unique but fragile flora & fauna have taught me the importance of increasing awareness with locals and visitors alike. This is my constant motivator.
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- @kricherds
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Technologist. Civic Science Fellow & Data Inclusion Specialist at OEDP.
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British-Costa Rican | Interested in transdisciplinary research in Planetary Health amongst other things
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- @KiaraHaylock
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PhD in Animal Ecology and Behavioural Physiology. Interested in the movement, behavioural and physiological responses of animals to environmental variability.
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World Wide Fund for Nature/ World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
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- @Alejandro
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This climate crisis does not have to be a story of loss but rather a story of redemption, rebirth, and change. My paintings capture the spiritual nature, the grounding energy of our shared existence with the natural world. AML-ART.COM
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Careers
Fully funded PhD in AI biodiversity monitoring
Benno Simmons
Come and do the first research into responsible AI for biodiversity monitoring, developing ways to ensure these AIs are safe, unbiased and accountable.
11 June 2024
Article
New WILDLABS Funding & Finance group
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Apply! 2024 Conservation Tech Award
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Now accepting applications for two $15,000 grants to help protect wildlife through cutting-edge, technology-driven efforts
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Do you have photos and videos of your conservation tech work? We want to include them in a conservation technology showcase video
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Save the Elephants is seeking a Principal Investigator for our Elephant Collective Behaviour Project. This role will spearhead research initiatives using cutting-edge video analysis tools to study elephant group...
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The Inventory User Guide
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Read in detail about how to use The Inventory, our new living directory of conservation technology tools, organisations, and R&D projects.
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The Inventory is your one-stop shop for conservation technology tools, organisations, and R&D projects. Start contributing to it now!
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The Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior at its sites in Constance and Radolfzell offers an international, interdisciplinary, and collaborative environment that opens up unique research opportunities. The goal of our...
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Catch up on the conservation tech discussions and events that happened during World Wildlife Day 2024!
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Machine Learning Postdoc Position, Understory
Ross Davison
Join us to help prevent biodiversity loss! Understory is hiring a postdoc to lead R&D Development on generalizing Computer Vision models for vegetation identification across space/time/phenotypes.
29 February 2024
Article
Cutting edge plant conservation
Ben Nyberg
A game-changing new tool is helping conservationists working with critically endangered cliff plants
9 January 2024
A little off the typical path for Wildlabs - and probably not the sort of drone people typically think about here 😄 - but I find robotic agriculture very interesting, with the potential to greatly reduce use of poison...
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September 2025
event
Louisa Richmond-Coggan
March 2026
April 2024
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Wildlife Drones
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Recently updated products
| Description | Activity | Replies | Groups | Updated |
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| Hats off to your team for this absolute game-changing technology! We rescue stray and wild animals in Taiwan, and the bulk of our work is saving animals maimed by wire snares... |
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AI for Conservation, Drones, Emerging Tech, Human-Wildlife Coexistence, Wildlife Crime | 9 months 1 week ago | |
| Adrian,Many thanks for v2.0 of the GIS best practices document. How does one obtain a copy of the RSPB code of practice B09 referenced in the best practices document? The link in... |
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Drones | 9 months 2 weeks ago | |
| Hi,I wonder if anyone could provide a synopsis of where drone tech currently sites for autonomous usage and AI implementation for surveys... |
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Drones | 9 months 3 weeks ago | |
| No problem at all Yu (@JY) and good luck with your studies! Happy to discuss this and any other ideas any time.All the best,Rob |
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Sensors, Animal Movement, Connectivity, Drones, Open Source Solutions, Emerging Tech | 10 months ago | |
| 180m is indeed very high and from above. I think a 640x512 thermal sensor with a 70mm lens can see animals at at 180m from sideways and could recognise something as a deer, but... |
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Drones, Human-Wildlife Coexistence | 10 months 2 weeks 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,... |
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AI for Conservation, Open Source Solutions, Protected Area Management Tools, Drones, Geospatial | 11 months 2 weeks ago | |
| RealityCapture is now free to use for students, educators, and hobbyists and for companies making less than $1 million USD/year.Best regards!Steffen |
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Drones | 1 year ago | |
| Hi all,maybe it helps 😉 My free manual 'Drones in Biomonitoring' - https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8077113 can help to get (more) knowledge how to proceed easily and successfully... |
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Drones, Marine Conservation, Wildlife Crime | 1 year ago | |
| Hi all,maybe it helps 😉 My free manual 'Drones in Biomonitoring' - https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8077113 can help to get (more) knowledge how to proceed easily and successfully... |
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Drones | 1 year ago | |
| Thank you for elaborating, @evebohnett ! And for the heads ups! |
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Camera Traps, Drones | 1 year 3 months ago | |
| We will be conducting in-person demos of our cutting-edge drone technology in the US this year! 🇺🇸 If you're interested in experiencing... |
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Animal Movement, Drones, Geospatial, Software Development | 1 year 6 months ago | |
| Hi Danilo. you seem very passionate about this initiative which is a good start.It is an interesting coincidence that I am starting another project for the coral reefs in the... |
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Acoustics, AI for Conservation, Animal Movement, Camera Traps, Citizen Science, Climate Change, Community Base, Connectivity, Drones, Emerging Tech, Human-Wildlife Coexistence, Open Source Solutions, Sensors, Software Development, Wildlife Crime, Funding and Finance | 1 year 6 months ago |
