Karibu to the WILDLABS East Africa Community!
Why WE Exist
After 7 years of strategically building the global WILDLABS community, it was now time for our team to venture into the next phase of our programme: creating regional virtual hubs. The very first regional hub to go live is the East Africa community, a space that will create opportunities for members to build their knowledge, skills, expertise and reach. The idea behind creating the EA community spanned from the need to foster connections and collaborations of conservation and technology players in EA as well as make a true positive impact by tailoring resources and opportunities that will help solve conservation challenges in the region. Learn more

All we do at WILDLABS is firmly grounded on the community we serve and hope to serve! As part of this commitment, time and resources have been dedicated to ensure that this platform will be a reliable and credible resource to advance one’s knowledge, skills and be a step towards solving some of the most pressing conservation issues WE face in East Africa.
WE exist to fulfill the needs of conservation technology players in East Africa through resources & opportunities, to add value to their work, to inspire innovation & collaboration and most importantly, to contribute towards making the world a better place!
What WE Hope To Achieve
Purposefully designed to connect conservation technology practitioners and experts based in East Africa, the WILDLABS EA community will be a great space to access and share conservation technology resources, ask and answer questions unique to the landscape, collaborate and generate new and innovative ideas.
This platform is a great space for members to collaboratively fill in regional conservation tech knowledge and skills gaps present and share their work and other resources, reducing and/or eliminating replication and leading to more streamlined and effective solutions. Through the conversations taking place within the community, members will be able to connect with each other and get advice to advance their work, careers, and innovative ideas.
The community hopes to encourage level interactions that will generate new ideas on solving regional conservation tech challenges, encourage innovation, introduce members to new applications of tech in conservation, as well as spark new questions on Conservation tech in EA.
How To Get Involved
Are you keen on getting involved and understanding the intersection of conservation and technology in East Africa? This community offers an exceptional space where you can join us and get involved; to learn, share, collaborate and support one another on matters regarding conservation technology in East Africa. From posting articles, engaging in discussions, attending virtual and in-person events to supporting, applying or taking part in Programmes and opportunities in the community, these are some of the ways for you to get involved.
The first thing you can do when joining our community is to jump into our welcome thread and introduce yourself to our community. Get started here

Resources
The WILDLABS team is dedicated to making conservation tech resources accessible to the whole community in a strategic and equitable manner. With a myriad of engaging events, programmes, weekly conversations and opportunities lined up, the East Africa community will be a great virtual place to build one’s skills, knowledge, and networks. Growing a vibrant and diverse community will be made possible by the collaborative efforts of all members through their interactions and their active participation in regional activities organized/supported by WILDLABS.
Some of the resources that will give you a feel of Conservation technology tools and systems implemented in East Africa include:
- Using IoT and Machine Learning to Protect Kenya's Rivers.
- Learning Resource: Exploring Species Interactions with Snapshot Serengeti.
- Mobile Phone Reporting for Rapid Wildlife Health Response in Uganda
Members of the East Africa community are invited to share their projects, organizations, experiences, failures, and ideas in their Conservation Tech work, to support the development of tools that will form part of the resources made available to other members.

Programmes
Women in Conservation Technology Programme
With a cohort of 15 talented and emerging female conservationists, our inaugural Women in Conservation Technology Programme, is the first of many Programmes organized for the community. WILDLABS, Ol Pejeta Conservancy, and Fauna & Flora International partnered to run this programme as the very first opportunity organized for the East Africa community.

This programme is designed for early career Kenyan women in conservation who are looking to explore emerging conservation technologies. In addition to in-person and virtual training on foundational skills and knowledge on conservation technologies to overcome conservation and wildlife challenges in Kenya, participants have an opportunity to network with a strong cohort of other women leaders in the field and gain professional development skills. Through this unique blend of training and networking, we hope to empower Kenyan women in conservation who are often underrepresented in the sector. It is an avenue to encourage the group to generate innovative ideas, novel solutions, and diverse perspectives that engender conservation success.
We received close to 200 outstanding applications for the Programme this year, and this reminded us of the collaborative conservation efforts, implemented through great projects running, exceptional conservation and technology organizations and visionary conservationists in East Africa. We hope to reach more conservation technologists to build their knowledge and skills through such trainings and capacity building Programmes.
'Women in Science are often underrepresented in Kenya. Intentionally creating this training Programme for Women in Conservation Technology goes a long way to show that well-thought out initiatives are currently being put in place to empower women in the field. This Programme will not only benefit me, but will be a motivation to upcoming Women in Conservation Technology.'~ Consolata Gathoni Gitau
With the knowledge and skills garnered from this programme, participants will be able to spread awareness of novel conservation technology solutions to their home organizations and empower other female conservationists. We believe that this Programme is a great strategic direction towards empowering early career female conservationists!
Events
From in-person and virtual events, this hub is a great place tailored for conservationists and technologists in East Africa to support each other in creating novel solutions to complex regional conservation challenges. The East Africa community will be part of already established virtual events such as Tech Tutors and Virtual meetups, where topics covered will answer questions related to conservation challenges unique to East Africa. The virtual events will bring together members and participants to learn new skills, get expert advice, ask questions, gain knowledge and foster existing knowledge and skills.
The East Africa community exists because of each of you, and we hope you are happy to join and use the platform for knowledge sharing, collaboration and networking. You can join the community and interact with other members here. To get in touch with Netty Cheruto, our WILDLABS East Africa Community Coordinator, email her at: netty.cheruto@wildlabs.net.
Header Image: @Dylan Habil
Group curators
WILDLABS & Fauna & Flora International (FFI)
I am the WILDLABS East Africa Community Coordinator
- 14 Resources
- 48 Discussions
- 8 Groups
Wildlife Protection Solutions (WPS)
Technology Coordinator at Wildlife Protection Solutions
- 0 Resources
- 7 Discussions
- 8 Groups
A student learning on proper application of science and technology in conservation for current and future benefits with minimum negative impacts and awesome if no negative impacts.
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 5 Groups
A marine environmentalist with diverse experience in collaborating on multidisciplinary & community-centred marine research focused on: fisheries management, blue carbon strategies, seagrass ecosystems, & ocean literacy.
- 0 Resources
- 1 Discussions
- 7 Groups
Wildlife Drones
Wildlife Drones has developed the world’s most innovative radio animal-tracking system using drones so you can track your radio-tagged animals like never before.
- 3 Resources
- 2 Discussions
- 32 Groups
Princeton University
African ecologist & large mammal biologist
- 3 Resources
- 15 Discussions
- 9 Groups
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 3 Groups
Ecologist with a passion for wildlife conservation and conservation technology with foundational training in BSc and MSc Rangeland Management (Ecology option).
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 7 Groups
I am an interdisciplinary scientist with robust experience in natural resource utilization, coexistence, conflict analysis and management, peacebuilding and mediation, wildlife farming and conservation, and dryland and rangeland management.
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 6 Groups
Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior (MPI-AB), Technical University of Munich (TUM)
Behavioral Ecologist
- 0 Resources
- 1 Discussions
- 14 Groups
WILDLABS
I'm the WILDLABS Research Lead at WWF-US
- 5 Resources
- 48 Discussions
- 24 Groups
A budding wildlife researcher focusing on giraffe.
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 4 Groups
My name is Ann Wambui ,a conservationist working as a conservation officer at Mugie Conservancy. Am a Diploma holder specialized in Wildlife Management from the Wildlife Research Training Institute. Currently, am Distance Learning student at the Africa Nazarene University.
- 0 Resources
- 5 Discussions
- 9 Groups
Article
Meet the women and men supporting gender equality in conservation #tech. Here is a panel discussion the Women in Conservation Tech (WiCT) led in November 2022, during the EarthRanger User Conference (ERUC). Opening up...
30 January 2023
5
The WILDLABS Tech Tutors are here to answer your ‘How do I do that?’ questions of conservation technology. This season, our expert speakers will cover tools and topics that help address conservation challenges unique...
18 January 2023
2
Careers
The Senior Conservation Technology Specialist will be responsible for providing technical advice and capacity development to GWP project teams on conservation technology, distilling challenges and lessons from project...
22 September 2022
2
As we wrap up Year 1 of building the East Africa community, here are a few of my key takeaways and my vision for the community. Moving forward, I hope you can find opportunities through this network, to contribute to...
7 September 2022
1
3
For the past one year, we have been working to establish and grow the East Africa community. The network now exists to foster collaboration, advance conservation technology work in the region and build capacity through...
7 September 2022
2
Article
An update on Ceres Tags products that are being used in conservation
22 August 2022
1
1
Funding
Through this Competition, RCMRD aims to enhance the role of Geo-conservation in Protected Areas Management and Environmental Conservation. With a Total Prize Tag of 10,000 Euros, participants will be required to use...
19 August 2022
Careers
Mara Elephant Project is looking to hire a developer to be based full-time in Nairobi at the Mara Elephant Project office located on Karen. The role will also require frequent field visits to the project HQ located in...
19 August 2022
In this interview with wildlife scientist Arjun Dheer, we discuss pressing conservation issues in Africa, his experiences working as a wildlife researcher in several African countries, and a look into the future of...
11 August 2022
2
Article
Ceres Tag sends just in time alerts and GPS location to have the power to track and trace.
22 July 2022
3
#AGU22, where Science Leads the Future, will take place in Chicago and online everywhere on 12th-16th December. Submit your abstract by 3rd August, for the Global Environmental change session on: Applications of Earth...
18 July 2022
1
The Earth Species Project (ESP) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to decoding animal communication and translating non-human language.
15 July 2022
1
February 2023
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July 2023
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January 2023
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Description | Activity | Replies | Groups | Updated |
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I am no expert, but I'd be curious about the answers. I mean if that is a reasonable amount, I am going to buy me one and change career. ;-)Perhaps it is reasonable considering... |
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Drones, East Africa Community | 1 week 3 days ago | |
Hi Carly,There are no built in automatic drop-off mechanism for the tags. We do have customers that have purchased and incorporated the tag into different types of harness and... |
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Biologging, East Africa Community | 4 months 1 week ago | |
@Ann_Wambui , Qgis and ArcGis Desktop are stand alone apps that are useful in coming up with geojson files and/or shapefiles that store the location, shape, and attributes of... |
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Data management and processing tools , East Africa Community, Protected Area Management Tools | 5 months 3 weeks ago | |
HI benard sorry am replying late,and yes i the data was exported as shapefile 2.i used same projection which is 37N WGS 84 on both apps and still the exported shape file... |
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Remote Sensing & GIS, East Africa Community | 6 months 1 week ago | |
100%! Also heard many asking about SMART Connect & Mobile, and their integration with other software.Thank you for your input :) |
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Community Base, East Africa Community | 6 months 2 weeks ago | |
Hi Kate,I highly appreciate your feedback. I love your idea of using wild ID .I have registered for the wild ID and am looking forward to using it in future. I wont hesitate to... |
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Camera Traps, East Africa Community | 7 months ago | |
The overriding objective of many economies in East Africa is to progress the nations with more efficient systems in the different sectors,... |
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East Africa Community | 7 months 1 week ago | |
its nylon rubber material |
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East Africa Community, Biologging | 7 months 1 week ago | |
Thank you so much Netty, I really enjoyed it.Good luck to you all with your work.Keep well! |
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AI for Conservation, East Africa Community | 7 months 1 week ago | |
Hey Carly,Good question. Data collection for the assessment was structured into; Interviews (12 conservation organizations were interviewed), online survey (64 respondents) and... |
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East Africa Community | 7 months 3 weeks ago | |
Very Insightful Ken! Great to see how the team at Ol Pejeta has been keen on integrating EarthRanger with other software, to have everything in a single system and better monitor... |
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East Africa Community, Protected Area Management Tools | 7 months 3 weeks ago | |
Thank You Netty! I love the new developments and the community setup. I am excited to see what is next. Thank you. |
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East Africa Community | 8 months 3 weeks ago |
Gender Equality in Conservation
30 January 2023 10:27am
Africa in Conservation Biology
30 January 2023 8:42am
Society for Conservation Biology just launched their "Africa in Conservation Biology" platform, designed to enhance the visibility of African and/or Africa-based conservation professionals.
Could be a great place to find funding, networking, and professional development opportunities!
Reasonable price for drone pilot (south africa)?
27 January 2023 11:20am
Join us for Tech Tutors: East Africa

18 January 2023 9:13am
How do I fit GPS satellite tags to remotely monitor giraffe movements?
18 January 2023 9:05am
International Congress for Conservation Biology
16 January 2023 2:53pm
Frontiers Symposium: Digital tools for reversing environmental degradation
5 October 2022 10:23am
Conservation leadership: Learning
4 October 2022 2:29pm
ONLINE COURSE: Monitoring and Evaluation for Wildlife Conservation
4 October 2022 2:04pm
ONLINE COURSE: Project Management for Wildlife Conservation
4 October 2022 2:00pm
Live Q&A Discussion on Ceres Tag: An animal monitoring Solution!
17 August 2022 6:57am
1 September 2022 5:48am
Hi Peter, Other users are having success embedding the tag into the rear face of the rear horn, see photos
26 September 2022 9:17pm
Is there any sort of automatic drop-off mechanism for the tags? Or does the animal need to be re-captured to take the tag off?
29 September 2022 3:52am
Hi Carly,
There are no built in automatic drop-off mechanism for the tags. We do have customers that have purchased and incorporated the tag into different types of harness and collars.
Happy to discuss further with you to understand your use case. Head over to www.cerestag.com and there is a "let's talk" button.
Senior Conservation Technology Expert Position (Consultancy) with the Global Wildlife Program
22 September 2022 5:35pm
The Variety Hour: November
22 September 2022 2:12pm
Key Takeaways: Building the East Africa community!
7 September 2022 6:44am
8 September 2022 1:00am
Establishing and Building the East Africa Community: Looking back on Year 1!
7 September 2022 5:55am
ONLINE COURSE: Grant Writing for Wildlife Conservation
31 August 2022 2:38pm
Online Hackathon: Predators conservation in the Maasai Mara
22 August 2022 10:32am
Ceres Wild Rhino application
22 August 2022 1:29am
29 September 2022 4:05am
RCMRD Map Competition 2022
19 August 2022 1:54pm
Developer, Mara Elephant Project
19 August 2022 12:35pm
Live Q&A Discussion on EarthRanger: All you need to know about the system!
22 July 2022 6:41am
29 July 2022 10:41am
Thank you so much for leading this Q&A session @kennedy_muriithi and for your time. It was lovely hosting you and I believe the community has learnt a lot about the EarthRanger system.
If you have any questions for Kennedy, kindly drop them anytime in this discussion thread- he is more than happy to answer all your questions!
Thank you Kennedy and see you all in our next Q&A session. We will be exploring an interesting conservation technology topic and featuring an amazing speaker, so stay tuned. See you next time!
12 August 2022 12:34pm
Hello Kennedy,
Many thanks for sharing your experiences with ER.
Does ER support integration with Qgis and Arc gis desktop or its only configured to support Arcgis online only?
15 August 2022 6:53am
@Ann_Wambui , Qgis and ArcGis Desktop are stand alone apps that are useful in coming up with geojson files and/or shapefiles that store the location, shape, and attributes of geographic features.
Earthranger does provide a mechanism to upload these geojson and/or shapefiles so that the geographic features stored within these files can be visualized on Earthranger.
From the Field: An interview with Arjun Dheer
11 August 2022 6:27am
Earth Ranger Projection
28 June 2022 10:15am
30 June 2022 12:40pm
Hi Turu,
To be able to assist you, I would like to understand the following first:
1. What feature of data did you export/get from EarthRanger? i.e shapefile? CSV? etc.
2. What coordinate system was your data from EarthRanger?
2. When plotting did you match/project with the correct coordinate system?
3. Do you think there was an active layer with a different projection system in your work frame?
4. Did you check whether your work frame projection was correct to match what you were plotting?
28 July 2022 11:47am
HI benard sorry am replying late,and yes i the data was exported as shapefile 2.i used same projection which is 37N WGS 84 on both apps and still the exported shape file projection read away from the wanted location
funny story is,the exported shapefile pins quite well when using QGIS but then on ARC GIS pro i don't get what the issue is
27 January 2023 2:59pm
I am no expert, but I'd be curious about the answers. I mean if that is a reasonable amount, I am going to buy me one and change career. ;-)
Perhaps it is reasonable considering that the number of jobs they get throughout the year is low and I guess that training with official certificate is not cheap.
Another consideration : non-toy drones do not come cheap. If they bring their own and take the risk of loosing it.