Group curators
Pen-Yuan Hsing
- @Nycticebus_scientia
- | he/they
MammalWeb.org
Amanda Matthes
Brianna Johns
- @briannajohns
- | she/they
Gathering for Open Science Hardware (GOSH)
Despite critical advancements in the tech solutions available to conservationists worldwide, many existing tools are cost-prohibitive in the landscapes that need them most. Additionally, those who create low-cost and open-source alternatives to pricey market tech often operate on tight budgets themselves, meaning they need more resources to promote their solutions to a broader market. We need increased communication around these solutions to highlight their availability, share lessons learned in their creation, and avoid duplication of efforts.
This group is a place to share low-cost, open-source devices for conservation; describe how they are used, including what needs they are addressing and how they fit into the wider conservation tech market; identify the obstacles in advancing the capacity of these technologies; and to discuss the future of these solutions, particularly their sustainability and how best to collaborate moving forward. We welcome contributions from both makers and users, whether active or prospective.
Here is how we see the current OSS space and how this group plans to change it by supporting both makers and users:
Many users do not appreciate the significant benefits of open-source tech. This group will educate users about the advantages and the need for open-source tech, specifically in the context of ecology work. We achieve this by stimulating regular discussions on the forum and by encouraging and supporting users to use open-source tools wherever possible.
Building OSS can be difficult. We want to support both established and potential makers who wish to develop OSS. The OSS group is a place where makers can find funding opportunities, ask current and potential users questions, and share their technologies.
Using OSS can be difficult. We also want to support adopters of OSS tech. We do this by offering a place for users to share challenges they face and crowdsource advice on things like technology choice or technical support.
Makers do not know what users want or need. The OSS group is a place that facilitates conversations between makers and users. This will give users a voice and ensure that makers are aware of the needs of users, enabling them to build better solutions.
The community is small and scattered. We want to grow an inclusive community of OSS practitioners. Our goal is to become the go-to place for discussions on the topic where people feel a sense of belonging.
Resources for getting started
- How do I use open source remote sensing data in Google Earth Engine? | Tech Tutors
- How do I use open source remote sensing data to monitor fishing? | Tech Tutors
- Low Cost, Open Source Solutions | Virtual Meetup
- What would an open source conservation technology toolkit look like? | Discussion
- December 2024 Open Source Solutions Community Call
Header image: Shawn F. McCracken
Group curators
- @Nycticebus_scientia
- | he/they
MammalWeb.org
Co-founded citizen science camera-trapping project with interest in developing 100% open source wildlife tech. Advocate for open science/open research. Former Community Councilor of the Gathering for Open Science Hardware.
- 4 Resources
- 25 Discussions
- 3 Groups
trying to understand and improve the welfare of all animals that can suffer
- 4 Resources
- 6 Discussions
- 7 Groups
- @briannajohns
- | she/they
Gathering for Open Science Hardware (GOSH)
Interested in the application of open source technologies for conservation research.
- 9 Resources
- 5 Discussions
- 4 Groups
No showcases have been added to this group yet.
- @bknight
- | She/Her
I'm a software engineer with experience in bioinformatics, robotics, and machine learning alongside a never-ending penchant to use my skills for good. Looking for opportunities in conservation tech to apply my skills where most needed :)
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 7 Groups
- @mr.kite
- | he/him
Environmental Specialist working with bird surveys and impact assessment. Here I'm focused on acoustic recording technologies and acoustic data analysis for birds.
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 8 Groups
- @malikmorg
- | He/Him
Software Developer
Interested in all things technology, system design, and hardware, especially in the spaces of conservation, exploration, and the environment.
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 10 Groups
- @fabiola
- | She/her
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 5 Groups
- @Markbowler
- | He/Him
University of Suffolk
Wildlife distributions and the effects that human activity has on populations. Spatial ecology of Amazonian mammals through audio and camera surveys. Hunter and gun tracking in Peru. Bats in suburban and agricultural landscapes in the UK
- 0 Resources
- 4 Discussions
- 11 Groups
I am a biologist who is currently studying for a master's degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Management Sciences, IPB University. In terms of biology, I have passionated in community development and wildlife conservation.
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 8 Groups
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 6 Groups
A chemist by training and enthusiast about the environment by nature. Currently finishing my PhD where I was lucky to merge several of my passions such as programming, data analysis, aquatic ecology and analytical chemistry.
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 7 Groups
- @limburan
- | she/her
Bat Conservation Trust
Research Scientist at Bat Conservation Trust
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 10 Groups
Wildlife Protection Solutions (WPS)
Software Engineer in Conservation Tech
- 2 Resources
- 15 Discussions
- 10 Groups
- @machadoams
- | He/Him
Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC)
I am a behavioural ecologist interested in the role of individual variation in ecological interactions and in human-wildlife dimensions
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 9 Groups
- @scottveirs
- | he, him
Orcasound
Oceanographer, marine biologist, educator
- 0 Resources
- 6 Discussions
- 3 Groups
Link
New paper - "acoupi integrates audio recording, AI-based data processing, data management, and real-time wireless messaging into a unified and configurable framework. We demonstrate the flexibility of acoupi by...
7 February 2025
Article
Over the years, a large number of developments have gone up in the area that I live in and the municipality is not doing what they should when it comes to upholding the laws that have been put in place to protect the...
20 January 2025
Article
Throughout November and December, the Mothbox team has been running field tests in Panama, cleaning up their data for post-processing, and starting an online shop with moth-themed merch!
19 December 2024
Article
Announcement of Project SPARROW
Zhongqi Miao
SPARROW: Solar-Powered Acoustics and Remote Recording Observation Watch
18 December 2024
Article
October + November 2024 OSS paper round-up
Amanda Matthes
In this instalment: ESPressoscope for microscopy, geographical feature extraction from OpenStreetMap, DEBEcoMod for predicting traits using dynamic energy budget theory, and more!
15 December 2024
Link
Open Sustainable Technology directory
Pen-Yuan Hsing
May be of interest to WILDLABS in terms of open source solutions, conservation tech, and learning about similar efforts. The founder of Open Sustainable Technology wrote this post about their work: https://...
2 December 2024
Careers
Computer Vision Developer
Ben Weinstein
We are hiring a computer vision developer at the University of Florida!
20 November 2024
Article
Catch up on the highlights from our two-day Mothbox v4.5 workshop at Georgia Tech, where participants gained hands-on experience building and testing the Mothbox.
13 November 2024
Link
ClimateTriage
Tobias Augspurger
Discover a meaningful way to contribute to open source projects focused on climate technology and sustainability.
22 October 2024
Link
Open Sustainable Technology
Tobias Augspurger
A directory and analysis of the open source ecosystem in the areas of climate change, sustainable energy, biodiversity and natural resources.
22 October 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
August 2025
event
Louisa Richmond-Coggan
September 2025
event
Louisa Richmond-Coggan
event
Louisa Richmond-Coggan
October 2025
event
Lacey Hughey and 3 more
November 2023
August 2023
| Description | Activity | Replies | Groups | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hello Everyone! My name is Claire and I work as a Field Technician and Veterinarian for Arribada Initiative, check out our upcoming... |
|
Marine Conservation, Open Source Solutions | 2 years 1 month ago | |
| Hi all! I am a mechanical engineer working in the Aerospace Engineering department at a University, and I have the opportunity to take over... |
|
Emerging Tech, Human-Wildlife Coexistence, Marine Conservation, Open Source Solutions, Sensors | 2 years 1 month ago | |
| There is the Conservation Tech Directory! There's an 'open-source' tag you can search by too. |
|
Open Source Solutions, Software Development | 2 years 1 month ago | |
| Hi everyone! and thanks @StephODonnell for the invite :)I’m a software engineer working on MLOps, and currently studying for a part-time... |
|
AI for Conservation, Open Source Solutions | 2 years 3 months ago | |
| Yes, but for our needs that are not powerful enough |
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Acoustics, Build Your Own Data Logger Community, Camera Traps, Emerging Tech, Open Source Solutions | 2 years 4 months ago | |
| Hi Andrea! Although I am a keen user and observer of the Moveapps initiative, my R or Python coding skills are next to non- existing. I am therefore not likely to be contributing... |
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Animal Movement, Conservation Tech Training and Education, Data management and processing tools, Emerging Tech, Human-Wildlife Coexistence, Open Source Solutions, Software Development | 2 years 5 months ago | |
| Hi Titus,If the usual syntactic foam sources aren't available, an option may be to add an empty dry housing or use a larger housing for the BRUV, just to provide the buoyancy.You... |
|
Camera Traps, Emerging Tech, Open Source Solutions | 2 years 6 months ago | |
| No, I was never able to figure out how to send these to anyone on here. I was hoping to learn how to clear these videos up if possible! |
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Camera Traps, Data management and processing tools, Open Source Solutions, Software Development | 2 years 7 months ago | |
| Hi all, one of the 8 MozFest 2023 spaces is 'Tech & Biodiversity', and the organisers seek input for an event on the intersection of... |
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AI for Conservation, Ethics of Conservation Tech, Open Source Solutions | 2 years 8 months ago | |
| Hey Sol, The only way for you to collect information from a GPS tag attached to a FAD is if that tag transmits that data to the drone. Unfortunately most receiver packages... |
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Drones, Emerging Tech, Open Source Solutions | 2 years 8 months ago | |
| The open-source program Audacity can show the spectrograms and histograms and has quite a lot of other useful features, e.g. playing ultrasound calls slower, so it can be heard by... |
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Acoustics, Citizen Science, Data management and processing tools, Open Source Solutions, Software Development | 2 years 9 months ago | |
| Oh, that looks so good, and some heavy hitting design firms too! |
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Animal Movement, Build Your Own Data Logger Community, Open Source Solutions | 2 years 10 months ago |
