Protected Areas are the last frontier for wildlife and nature conservation. These Areas suffer from insufficient resources and they need urgent help to detect and respond to threats from wildlife crime. Technology programmes have the proven ability to save many thousands of animals by detecting threats faster and by increasing the effectiveness of the response. Our project creates a global group of conservationists and technologists to bring innovative new technology to help Protected Areas.
We have lost over 60% of our wildlife since 1970 (WWF). Conservationists are powerless today to stem the tide. Yet deployment of new technology has the power to transform the conservation of nature, as it has already done in many other domains. There is an urgent need to increase awareness and accelerate adoption of technology in Protected Areas, where communications are poor, ecological monitoring often inadequate, and rangers often unable to prevent wildlife crime.
SEN is bringing together a global Working Group of conservationists and technologists to raise awareness, plan and deliver technology programs, particularly in Protected Areas. New tools can increase 10x the monitoring capacity of a field ecologist. A solar powered drone with poacher-detecting cameras covers 12x the area a ranger does. Powerful sensors with long battery life are remotely connected to provide critical information, analyse it in real time, and automatise responses. And do it fast!
Every single program to achieve "digital maturity" in a Protected Area has the potential to save thousands of animals by detecting and preventing threats from poachers, loggers, illegal herders and animal traffickers. To manage the Working Group and help get more programs deployed in the field, we must hire a Community Manager. Matching funding is needed for half this salary and to help Protected Areas procure new technology for an immediate and sustainable impact on the protection of wildlife.
