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Over the past few months, we’ve had the pleasure of hosting seven immersive workshops in Cambodia, Singapore, Zambia, Kenya, Panama, and Costa Rica. To create impact,expand the user experience, and ultimately increase the protection of biodiversity and natural landscapes around the globe, we gathered 500 conservationists from across 51 countries. The workshops were a series of firsts– the first EarthRanger events to be held in Cambodia, Singapore, Panama, and Costa Rica, and in fact, the events we’ve held in Latin America and Asia. Additionally, they marked the team’s first event conducted in a language other than English, with most sessions in Panama and Costa Rica primarily in Spanish. It’s been inspiring for our team to connect with partners on the ground and hear how EarthRanger has become a valuable tool for monitoring, analyzing, and responding to wildlife and habitat threats in real-time.
Our goal with the workshops was to create opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds and regions to come together, deepen their knowledge of the platform, and share experiences to accelerate conservation impact. Beyond and behind developing the best tech solutions for your conservation needs is our mission to bring conservationists together to learn from one another and to fine-tune best practices that stregthen efforts to protect biodiversity and the teams out there protecting it. Each training workshop blended EarthRanger-led instruction with hands-on use cases, allowing attendees to see how EarthRanger’s functionalities work across different ecological, security, and social contexts. We wanted everyone to leave with new insights, not just into the software but also into the creative ways other teams are adapting EarthRanger to fit their unique conservation challenges.
One of our favorite moments was hearing from our partners about their day-to-day work and how EarthRanger has become an integral part of their conservation strategies. In Cambodia, WCS’ Kong Sophalrachana shared how they are using the platform to help protect the Northern Plain Landscape, one of Asia's last major lowland rainforests. Similarly, In Kenya, we heard from Dr. Lydia Tiller, who shared how the Amboseli Trust is leveraging EarthRanger to develop insights into the intricate relationships between local communities and elephants in southern Kenya. Using EarthRanger Mobile, the team is gathering data that provides real insights into how community members perceive and interact with elephants, particularly in conflict-prone areas. As Dr. Tiller shared in her presentation, “Conservation actions are ultimately human behaviors. And it is vital to understand how social factors shape human interactions with the environment and people's choices to exploit or conserve biodiversity.” It’s a great example of how EarthRanger can be customized to collect the data most useful for building human-wildlife coexistence strategies.
Another big highlight was showcasing some of the latest developments we’ve been working on, like new features in EarthRanger Mobile and Gundi and an exciting new tool, Ecoscope. Many participants were especially excited about Ecoscope’s potential to turn data into intelligence and enhance collaboration and decision-making.
We’ve come away from the workshops energized and more motivated than ever. Meeting with practitioners, hearing about the challenges and successes, and learning more about how EarthRanger supports you in the field has been incredibly inspiring. Even more rewarding has been hearing your freedback. When we asked if you acquired new knowledge that will impact your work, we received an overwhelming response: ‘totally agree.’ Additionally, those who attended rated the overall workshops a 9 out of 10. By creating space for training and knowledge-sharing, we hope we’re helping foster a community of conservationists who are not just connected through technology but also through shared goals and a vision for safeguarding the planet.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on the workshops and any ideas you have for future sessions! Share your feedback with us here.