Conversations with Conservationists: Tech for Wildlife
Welcome to “Conversations with Conservationists”! In this captivating journey, we embark on a quest to explore the world of wildlife conservation and its dedicated guardians. Join us as we sit down with remarkable wildlife experts, impact specialists, and passionate conservationists who are tirelessly working to protect and preserve our planet’s precious biodiversity. We’ll delve into their experiences, gain insights into the projects they’re leading, and learn how everyone plays a vital role in the global movement to safeguard our natural heritage.
Introducing Blane Edwards
I’m an architect by training who is currently exploring the intersection of web3 and impact. I am currently working at Empowa — a blockchain-based project using emerging tech to connect the financially excluded with affordable and green housing across Africa. Although this project intersects a number of my key interests, my goal is to eventually start a web3 project which focuses primarily on wildlife conservation.
What are some examples of innovative technologies being used to support wildlife conservation efforts?
I believe all emerging tech can be integrated into wildlife conservation. That includes some of the big ones like, crypto, blockchain, AI, gaming, etc.
With respect to AI, one example use case is using it to analyze data and create predictive environmental models. These models can be used to inform more effective conservation strategies and solutions.
One use case for web3 would be to create a transparent funding mechanism. One friction point for individuals donating is there isn’t a lot of transparency about where their donation is actually going. With the transparent and immutable nature of the blockchain, there could be a web3 donation solution that tracks how the donated money is used and where it flows.
How can remote sensing technologies like satellite imagery and GPS tracking help monitor and protect wildlife populations?
I think there can be some interesting solutions that combine satellite imagery with AI. For example, you could use AI to process large amounts of satellite imagery data and pick up on trends and patterns that may otherwise be missed by humans. You can also train the AI model to identify specific features of an image, such as roads, changes in vegetation, etc. By combining these technologies, we could save a lot of time and produce more effective analyses.
What are some challenges or limitations associated with leveraging technology for wildlife conservation?
A fundamental challenge that can affect wildlife technology is its inherently ‘hybrid’ nature. It’s an area that intersects the digital world (bits) and the tangible/physical world (atoms). This aspect can complicate fundraising efforts, as it’s generally more challenging to scale a solution that has physical elements compared to purely digital ones. So I believe there needs to be an emphasis on creating alternative funding mechanisms so that environmental positive projects have more options to raise the funding needed to make an impact.
How can technology help address the issue of human-wildlife conflict and promote coexistence?
I don’t know a lot about human-wildlife conflict specifically, but I imagine there can be some ways to use emerging tech to create more effective early warning systems for local communities and farmers. For example, sensors and AI can be used to detect wildlife in the area, and send out an alert to people nearby who could be affected.
What role does artificial intelligence play in supporting conservation efforts, and do you know of some applications of AI in this field?
I believe AI is a layer that can be integrated with essentially every conservation-related problem/solution. At a macro level, it can be used to process large data sets in order to create more effective environmental models, which in theory, could help us implement better solutions. At a micro level, AI has the potential to democratize environmental communication. This is because it lowers the barrier to entry and can help us create and communicate our message via all forms of media, including text, images, videos, etc. Hopefully, this leads to more wildlife warriors in the digital world, which in turn leads to more conservation action in the physical world.
Are there any successful case studies where technology has significantly contributed to wildlife conservation at a large scale?
When I think of wildlife conservation, I think of it at the species level and ecosystem level. When I think of technology that has had a positive impact on earth’s ecosystems at a large scale, one project that comes to mind is Tesla. By accelerating the World’s transition to sustainable energy, it inevitably will have a large positive impact on the range of ecosystems on our planet, but also, by extension, the many wildlife species that live there. So to me, Tesla is an example of how entrepreneurship can drastically change our world for the better. Business can be done in a way that benefits people, the planet, and profit. I think this change in business mentality has the greatest potential to make a positive impact at scale.
A big thank you to Blane for sharing his valuable insights into how tech can be used to support wildlife conservation. Stay tuned for more “Conversations with Conservationists”!
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