Establishing a new SCB Working Group on Conservation Technology

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Lauren Krizel

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Feb 19, 2016, 9:51:42 AM2/19/16

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Establishing a new SCB Working Group on Conservation Technology

These are truly exciting times! Accelerating technological and engineering progress is being matched by affordable technology and global data connectivity. We believe that this convergence brings tremendous opportunities for Conservation. New technologies could revolutionise the way we collect data on threatened species and habitats, and provide new tools to support Conservation action directly (e.g. surveillance of illegal activities). To seize these opportunities, we need to raise our capacity for affordable design, manufacture of project-specific devices, and customisation of off-the-shelf commercial products to suit specific needs. This requires developing an open collaboration between conservationists and technologists.

We are looking for active members of SCB to support the establishment of the new SCB Conservation Technology Working Group (ConsTechWG). As a discipline, Conservation Biology has much to gain from a coordinated approach to (i) developing technology to aid Conservation problems and attracting the skills of technologists/engineers to help with this, (ii) evaluating the performance and usefulness of different emerging technologies, (iii) disseminating best practices to practitioners and researchers, (iv) forecasting emerging threats from new technologies. We believe the SCB has a role to play in pushing the technology agenda in Conservation. We would like ConsTechWG to become such a platform for discussion, collaboration and coordination of research and practice activities around the use of different technologies in Conservation. But we need your help, commitment, skills, experience and network of contacts to make this happen!

If you are interested in supporting the establishment of this new SCB working group, please email your name and SCB member ID number to José Lahoz-Monfort (jose....@unimelb.edu.au).