I have a doctorate in geography. I am also a research associate at the Laboratory of Geomatics, Applied Research and Consultancy (LAGRAC) in the Department of Geographic, Environmental and Marine Sciences at Omar Bongo University.  My work as a marine mammal scientist has focused primarily on understanding the distribution of the African manatee, the sources of conflict related to fishing and the distribution of the African manatee, and on improving the quality of marine mammal data collection, analysis and communication in Gabon. I have pioneered a decade of research on the African manatee, including designing and leading a research group on the African manatee in the southern coastal zone of Gabon.

Hello, I'm Yanna, a design consultant helping social and environmental impact organizations to design innovative solutions that address complex challenges. My approach combines human-centered design and behavior change strategies. I believe that understanding the drivers and barriers of human behavior in relation to environmental challenges is essential in order to design sustainable and transformative community programs that achieve conservation goals. I facilitate a design process with my clients to create tools, services and programs that drive systemic change, exploring solutions beyond campaigns and educational approaches. I am really passionate about protecting nature and wildlife. Although my design experience stems mostly from healthcare, humanitarian aid, agriculture and climate change resilience programs (see https://designfollowsinsight.com/projects/), I have also worked on developing a biodiversity monitoring and reporting innovation strategy. My goal is to apply design research methodologies and innovation in the service of wildlife and nature.

I am from a maritime province called Milne Bay, in Papua New Guinea, where we have islands called "The Engineering Group of Islands, The DÉntrecasteaux Group of Islands, The Conflict Group of Islands (to name a few).  I have previous experience in industrial chemistry but in the past few years have moved into the environmental and sustainability space. I've done volunteer work with turtle conservation, mangrove conservation and have experience working in remote island communities. I would like to learn more about how community-based conservation and sustainable solutions work for different cultures and countries, and look forward to learning through shared experience here. 

With experience in Marine Animal Rehab., Rescue and Research coupled with a nerdy love of data, data science and all things technology, my data collection software company, WatchSpotter is the cumulation of my life’s work. From the hallways of the Marine Animal Rehabilitation Center at the University of New England, my affinity for caring for marine animals was fostered and grew. Being tasked with the center’s life support systems and flow thru animal pools further opened my eyes to water quality, fecal coliforms, and bio-loads.  I was the primary research technician in a multiphase study: Protecting the Saco River: Tracking non-point fecal pollution to its species source. Upon leaving UNE, I traveled to the Southern Great Barrier Reef Australia to work on an international research team focusing on population dynamics for three cetacean species. Once back stateside, I sharpened my Software UX skills working as a software consultant for Centersoft Technologies. After a brief stint volunteering for the Dolphin Photo ID program at Florida Atlantic University Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, I was hired to join the team. I split time the first years at FAU HBOI between the Harmful Algal Bloom lab and the Dolphin Population and Assessment Lab. Settling in as a Research Assistant for the latter as well as a first responder for the Marine Mammal Rescue Team. In working with the Dolphin Population and Assessment Primary Researcher, along with other industry collaborators, I soon became the PIs data analyst and was paramount in the creation and development of the programs state of the art cloud-based SQL database platform. I worked as a liaison between the research program and software architects to assure ease of use, maximum data output and advanced analytics. The software is still used by the newly formed team today.  At the end of 2019 it was time for me to branch out on my own.  In the spring of 2022, WatchSpotter was born. My idea was to create a customizable SaaS application that could be used by researchers worldwide. Data is data- scientific questions need to be answered. My contingency was that no matter what the research topic- if the research brings people into the field-whether scientists, volunteers, or citizens, they are there to gather data-to answer questions. I knew that the two biggest challenges facing many environmental research groups were time and money. It would not be feasible for most nonprofits or other environmental institutions to pay for custom software- which often runs in excess of $150K nor do they have the time to wait for such programs to be complete.  These known challenges fueled the customization and simple UX that make up the WatchSpotter platform. When I’m working with Environmental Science or software, I enjoy being outside in the woods or at the beach, volunteering and hanging with family and friends.

I am a bats researcher based in Kenya expert in collecting, analysing and reporting data regarding conservation.

Hi to the community. Am Dominic Mutali and a conservationist working in Kenya. Am interested working with conservation projects and l have over 4 years experience both working as a game ranger and field ecologist