Ten years ago, we couldn't have imagined how tools like machine learning, eDNA, and satellites would advance and transform conservation work. Now technology is advancing faster than ever, and as tools become smaller, lighter, and more affordable, it's vital to have a space where community members can discuss the next big thing, share ideas, compare tool options, and tell the story of their experiences - positive, negative, and anything in between - while using new technologies.
In 2021, the WILDLABS State of Conservation Tech report detailed what tools show the most promise according to community members, as well as what tools are currently seen as the most effective. And as new tools enter the field, we're excited to see how this data will change over time, and how this group grows over time as well.
Our State of Conservation Tech research also discusses something called the "Hype Cycle" - the pattern that occurs when a new technology bursts onto the scene, promises to be an exciting solution, encounters challenges as new users adopt the tool and put it into practice beyond just theory, and eventually settles into its most effective state as users acquire the right skills to use it to its actual potential. Machine learning, one of the most promising technologies, is currently in the middle of its own hype cycle, and we see community members working through their own hurdles to incorporate ML into their work effectively. Despite what you may think, this Hype Cycle can also be positive for tech development, as it means that users have big ideas for new tools, and with the right resources and skills, they can work toward bringing those ideas to life. And as our community members experiences the Hype Cycle for various tools at their own paces, we hope this group will also serve as a place to discuss that process and overcome hurdles together.
Ready to discover new possibilities? Join our Emerging Tech group now and get to know your forward-thinking conservation tech peers!
Header photo: Internet of Elephants
No showcases have been added to this group yet.
- @nickschurch
- | Dr
Principal Statistician for Ecology and Environmental Science with Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland.
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 7 Groups
Zoological Society London (ZSL)
Water-landing fixed-wing drones in marine ecology and maritime surveillance in MPAs and beyond.
- 1 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 10 Groups
Stanford University
Doctoral Research at Stanford University | Interested in data science and observational approaches for issues in coastal health
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 8 Groups
Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
Video producer, videographer and editor for the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 5 Groups
- @patrick
- | He/Him
Space signal processing engineer by day, environmental data analyst by night.
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 10 Groups
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 2 Groups
Conservation Newbie, Technologist, Applications Developer, Hardware Tinkerer
- 0 Resources
- 17 Discussions
- 9 Groups
- @Alex_Tytgat
- | He/him
Junior machine learning engineer with a background in data science and physics
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 20 Groups
I am a behavioural ecologist using animal tracking technologies to investigate the impacts of anthropogenic change
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 10 Groups
- 0 Resources
- 4 Discussions
- 3 Groups
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 3 Groups
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 3 Groups
Careers
Software Developer - Key Conservation
Megan Cromp
Key Conservation is seeking an experienced Software Developer to join our team.
28 January 2025
Article
What Are Innovative Technologies, and Why Should Conservationists Care?
Louisa Richmond-Coggan
Conservationists use tools like drones, satellites, and camera traps to monitor ecosystems and scale their impact. But new challenges like transparency, funding gaps, and engagement remain. Web 3.0 technologies offer...
28 January 2025
Link
Professor Ed Mitchard, to discuss the role of remote sensing in forest conservation to monitor land-use change, estimate a forest carbon stock, detect forest fires, and report upon other key forest indicators.
1 November 2024
Link
Podcast: The State of Nature Tech with Gilad Goren
Anish Banerjee
In this episode join Gilad Goren, as we discuss the state of nature tech around the world ranging from nature fintech to artificial intelligence and remote sensing. We also discuss the role of NatureTech in...
1 November 2024
Careers
MS and PhD Opportunities in Ocean Engineering and Oceanography
Camille Pagniello
The Marine Innovation Lab for Leading-edge Oceanography develops hardware and software to expand the ocean observing network and for the sustainable management of natural resources. For Fall 2025, we are actively...
6 October 2024
Funding
The Coral Research & Development Accelerator Platform opened it's Coral Accelerator Program 2024 for internationally collaborating teams to apply with innovative projects ranging from 'novel early-phase' to 'final...
26 August 2024
Article
Join us for Season Five of the WILDLABS Virtual Meetup Series, tuning in to the world of Bioacoustics! Laying the groundwork for our new horizon scan research, each event will convene cross-sector experts to explore a...
22 August 2024
Article
Join us in celebrating this year’s Judging Panele Award winners!
19 August 2024
Article
Join us in celebrating this year’s Community Choice Award winners!
15 August 2024
Article
Vote for your favorite submissions that best demonstrate conservation impact, novel innovation/discovery, and strong storytelling of the work and the sector.
12 August 2024
Link
AI Based Animal Detection Demo App for iPhone
Robert (Bob) Zak
In this post, I describe an animal recognition demonstration app I developed for the iPhone. The “MegaDetector-Demo” app uses the latest “MegaDetector” animal detector model from PyTorch-Wildlife to identify animals,...
11 August 2024
August 2025
event
Louisa Richmond-Coggan
September 2025
event
Louisa Richmond-Coggan
event
Louisa Richmond-Coggan
March 2026
October 2023
event
Stephanie O'Donnell
event
Sasha Sebright
event
Sasha Sebright
| Description | Activity | Replies | Groups | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How neat, thanks for sharing! We'd love to hear more about your drone project once it's underway, please keep us updated on that one! |
|
AI for Conservation, Emerging Tech | 5 years 1 month ago | |
| Author: Jody Tucker, U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region Carnivore Monitoring ProgramFigures below text in order (Fig 1... |
|
AI for Conservation, Emerging Tech | 5 years 1 month ago | |
| What better way to celebrate Endangered Species Day 2020 than try a new technology to protect them? If you're planning to be out and... |
|
AI for Conservation, Emerging Tech | 5 years 3 months ago | |
| Hi - my name is Rogue Marechal, founder of HAL-13, a game board publisher specifically interesting in connecting the gaming community to the world and challenges of wildlife... |
|
Emerging Tech | 7 years 1 month ago | |
| We've recently published in Scientific American on some of the ways AR/MR can be used to support wildlife. Great to have any feedback... |
|
Emerging Tech | 7 years 7 months ago | |
| Yes - good points in there about why traditional attempts at these attempts have hit a ceiling - we have some great approaches to that - will have some prototypes to share very... |
|
Emerging Tech | 9 years ago | |
| Hi. Very glad to have this group as I think this is an area that has a lot of potential and little attention. I founded... |
|
Emerging Tech | 9 years 7 months ago |
