Natalie Peoples
- @npeoples
- | Dignissim sed
Introducing the Judging Panel for the 9th Annual #Tech4Wildlife Photo Challenge
The 9th Annual #Tech4Wildlife Photo Challenge starts next week on Monday, August 5, and we’re thrilled to kick-start the excitement by introducing this year’s judging panel!
The Photo Challenge is not a photography competition, but rather a celebration of how technology is impacting conservation. Each and every submission that comes in over the next week is a testament to the dedication, ingenuity, collaboration, and passion of our amazing sector.
Our honoree process is a chance to highlight some of the most impactful and meaningful projects and work being done in the sector. This year, we’re running our honoree process through a judging panel and community choice voting process (stay tuned for more on this!).
One of the goals of the Photo Challenge is to unite researchers, conservationists, innovators, communicators, and technology enthusiasts involved in conservation technology. With this in mind, we convened a judging panel of six members who bring experience across a diverse range of conservation sectors, including academia, tech, research, and media.
The panel will draw on their knowledge and expertise to evaluate submissions based on three factors:
- Conservation impact
- Novel innovation or discoveries
- Strong storytelling of the work and the sector
The panel is eager to see how technology is transforming conservation and learn about the unique and innovative tech projects happening across the globe!
Submit photos, videos, and stories from August 5 to 9 that showcase how you use tech in your conservation work to be eligible for a judging panel honor. For more information about joining the challenge, read the announcement article.
Get to know the judging panel!
Beatrice Hipolito - Philippines
Beatrice Hipolito is a Project Coordinator at the Center for Conservation Innovations (CCIPH), a nature conservation NGO based in the Philippines that creates innovative conservation solutions by developing science-based tools and frameworks. Hipolito currently works on the High Conservation Value Area (HCVA) Framework Assessment project. She is also a member of the Technology Solutions team at CCIPH, which deploys conservation technologies and demonstrates their use and applicability to level up biodiversity monitoring projects. As part of the team, she joins other CCIPH projects and teams as support at a conservation tech capacity. Hipolito is an advocate of citizen science and has passed on her knowledge and skills to local stakeholders ensuring their participation in protecting their areas. She earned a BS degree in Environmental Science from Ateneo de Manila University.
Q: “What are you most looking forward to about this year’s challenge?”
A: “I'm looking forward to seeing how the tech we're all familiar with is being used so differently across the globe and the stories behind these projects.”
Q: “What excites you about conservation technology?”
A: “It's exciting to see the endless possibilities conservation technology can achieve. This community combines imagination, innovation, and passion so well!”
Geoff Daniels - United States
Geoff Daniels is the Executive Director at Jackson Wild, a US-based impact media organization telling stories at the nexus of nature, science, and conservation. Over his 39-year storytelling career, Daniels has also served as Executive Vice President of Unscripted Entertainment for the London-based production company, Nutopia, and as Executive Vice President of Global Unscripted Entertainment for National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo Wild and Nat Geo on Disney+. In 2010, he launched Nat Geo WILD with brand-defining events such as Big Cat Week and SharkFest, creating nearly 200 hours each year of feature docs and series that helped the network’s mission to produce extraordinary wildlife films and inspire audiences worldwide to care about the planet.
Q: “What are you most looking forward to about this year’s challenge?”
A: “I can't wait to see how this community continues to innovate using consumer technologies that are accessible to everyone in service of large-scale projects that not only reveal the secret lives of animals but how we can all participate in conserving endangered species around the world.”
Q: “What excites you about conservation technology?”
A: “From a filmmaking perspective, the audio-visual elements of conservation technology are advancing in breathtaking ways that make the data collected so much more immersive, accessible and engaging which is vital to telling stories that move global audiences at an emotional level and ultimately drive impact.”
Jacinta Plucinski - Australia
Jacinta Plucinski is the CEO at Freaklabs, an organization that develops Arduino compatible hardware for wildlife research, environmental conservation and basic infrastructure in rural and remote areas. Plucinski is also a content and software developer specializing in web technologies. In addition to her work in tech innovation, she’s a published author, runs her own book and games publishing company, and has started her own magazine. Plucinski has worked for Google, SCMP, Discovery Channel, Australian Centre for Moving Image (ACMI) and Special Broadcasting Services (SBS). She’s studying ecology and when not working on technology or publishing projects, plays the harp or DnD, and goes hiking or diving.
Q: “What are you most looking forward to about this year’s challenge?”
A: "Freaklabs has been part of the WILDLABS community since 2017, and I’m excited to see examples of the growth and maturity in understanding how technology can be used for impactful conservation, restoration and policy-making."
Q: “What excites you about conservation technology?”
A: Tackling big issues like the climate and environmental crises requires a holistic and multi-disciplinary approach. I’m most excited about how technology can be integrated into larger solutions.
Dr. Krithi Karanth - India
Dr. Krithi Karanth is the CEO at the Centre for Wildlife Studies, an organization working to conserve India’s diverse wildlife through research, conservation strategies, and community engagement. Dr. Karanth earned her Ph.D. from Duke University where she now serves as an Adjunct Faculty member. She also holds a M.E.Sc from Yale University and B.S and B.A degrees from the University of Florida. With over 26 years of experience in the conservation sector, Dr. Karanth’s research focuses on assessing patterns of species distributions and extinctions, impacts of wildlife tourism, consequences of voluntary resettlement, land use change, and understanding human-wildlife interactions. Her research has been featured in major international media outlets, such as the Washington Post, and in documentaries and series produced by CBS and BBC. She is also a National Geographic Emerging Explorer and the Chief Editor for the Conservation Section of Frontiers in Ecology and Environment.
Q: “What are you most looking forward to about this year’s challenge?”
A: “I am looking forward to seeing new technology emerge and new applications of older technology to solve different research/conservation challenges.”
Q: “What excites you about conservation technology?”
A: “Its ability to be low cost, efficient and scale.”
Dr. Lucy King - Kenya
Dr. Lucy King is the Co-Existence Director at Save the Elephants, an organization based in Kenya that collects and applies scientific research to improve elephant survival and coexistence with humanity. She has 18 years of experience researching the use of honey bees as a natural deterrent for crop-raiding elephants. Dr. King earned her DPhil at Oxford University, MSc in Biology, Integrative Bioscience, at Balliol College, and First Class degree in Zoology at Bristol University. Her research has been published in multiple scientific journals, and her DPhil thesis was awarded the UNEP/CMS Thesis Award 2011 from the United Nations Environment Program’s Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species. She also won The Future for Nature Award and The St Andrews Prize for the Environment in 2013.
Q: “What are you most looking forward to about this year’s challenge?”
A: “The world is changing fast, but one of the positives is the development and integration of novel technology to solve our climate, conservation and coexistence challenges. I'm looking forward to being surprised and intrigued by the entries in this year's #Tech4Wildlife Photo Challenge with a hope to see some fresh new ideas…”
Q: “What excites you about conservation technology?”
A: “The ideal nexus for protecting our planet's biodiversity is a merging of true scientific knowledge and understanding about a species combined with novel technology that either proves a theory or provides unique insights into animal or plant behaviour that would otherwise be impossible by only using the human mind or body. That merging of intelligence and technology could help pave the way for the solutions we need to save our precious planet.”
Rhett Butler - United States
Rhett Butler is the founder and CEO of Mongabay, a non-profit environmental media outlet reporting on nature and planetary challenges. Butler’s passion for tropical rainforests drove him to found Mongabay in 1999. In the beginning, he operated alone, publishing thousands of stories and photos. Since then, the organization has grown to include correspondents in 80 countries. Butler shares stories focusing on conservation, tropical forests, conservation technology, deforestation, and biodiversity. Beyond his work at Mongabay, Butler founded WildMadagascar.org, a site that highlights the cultural and biological richness of Madagascar and reports on environmental news for the Indian Ocean island nation, and co-founded Tropical Conservation Science, an open-access academic journal that aims to provide opportunities for scientists in developing countries to publish their research.
Q: “What are you most looking forward to about this year’s challenge?”
A: “I'm always interested in learning how people are leveraging technology to improve conservation so I'm looking forward to seeing what innovative photos, videos, and stories are put forth in the challenge.”
Q: “What excites you about conservation technology?”
A: “Appropriate technology can help make conservation efforts more effective, accessible, and equitable. Conservation technology has the potential to help us vastly scale up our knowledge of the world around us and work toward addressing the challenges we collectively face.”
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Participate in the 2024 #Tech4Wildlife Photo Challenge!
Natalie Peoples
Participate in our annual #Tech4Wildlife Photo Challenge from August 5 to 9 by sharing photos and videos of how you use technology in your conservation work.
22 July 2024
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