About Us

Connected Conservation was founded in 2015. We work closely with local partners to understand their needs and conservation challenges. Creating a technical solution that combines platforms, data sources and devices to offer real-time solutions that give an early warning of where conservation issues occur so rangers can respond and mitigate threats.

Engineers are locally-based and have on-the-ground experience, local knowledge and expertise. We have scaled to help recover 30+ species, with 9 long-running projects across Kenya, South Africa and Zambia. Our projects are expanding into more areas this year.

Challenges

Illegal wildlife poaching

rates surged during the pandemic, and local livelihoods remain devastated by the loss of tourism. In South Africa, every day a Rhino and Elephant are killed. Illegal wildlife poaching undermines the rule of law and incentivises crime.

Ecosystem destruction

is a threat to wildlife. Habitats must be maintained, yet only 15% of the world's land is protected. This must increase so that important ecosystems can sustain life on Earth.

Human-wildlife conflict

events are increasing as the space for nature shrinks and the competition for resources rises. When elephants raid crops or carnivores prey on livestock, it can damage the local perception of wildlife and lead to wildlife and human deaths.

Our Journey

Connected Conservation was born out of a pilot project in South Africa. Cisco and Dimension Data brought together conservation and technology experts to create a first-of-its-kind, proactive Connected Conservation solution to stop the poaching of rhinos in a private game reserve next to the Kruger National Park.

The solution tracks the movement of people, giving an early warning of those with dubious intent so rangers can step in to prevent harm to the animals. Leaving wildlife undisturbed and keeping rangers safe. The long-running pilot was a success. Where technology helped field teams achieve a 96% reduction in poaching during 2017 and 2018, with new reductions this year.

In 2019, we launched Connected Conservation Foundation, a non-profit organisation registered in the UK and operating independently under a board of directors' governance. The Foundation focuses on:

Supporting the implementation of technology

We work with Protected Area managers to understand their challenges and equip on-the-ground teams with connectivity and communications infrastructure, data services, satellite imagery, cameras and sensing technologies. This enables rangers to track and secure people, wildlife, visitors/tourists, vehicles and natural resources across vast areas to help pre-empt and prevent conservation issues.

Innovation and on-the-ground testing

Leading technology partners and conservationists collaborate with us to co-develop and improve conservation technology solutions. Our team trials new innovations alongside new technologies brought to Connected Conservation Foundation and evaluate their benefits to deliver conservation outcomes through our field-based testing area in South Africa. We are technology agnostic to harness the potential of new technologies.

Capacity-building and sustainability

We support the handover of technology and ongoing skills to create opportunities and employment. Programmes encourage the development of local technical capabilities by creating opportunities for professional training, mentoring and support.

Community

Community involvement is an integral part of a long-term and successful conservation solution. We support our partners with community-centric activities to ensure that conservation efforts provide peace and security to both wildlife and local communities. Our approach aims to deliver connectivity to areas previously without Wi-Fi facilities and improve micro-enterprise opportunities through digital technologies.

Fundraising

We raise funds for conservation projects through a transparent and robust governance framework. Funds are deployed with agreed measurement approaches to track progress against Sustainable Development Goals and corporate ESG programmes.

Technology

Provide effective conservation technologies. Bring innovation to the ground.

People

Develop technical capacity and create opportunities for local communities.

Collaborate

Be a trusted agent for collaboration to effect change.

Sustain

Work to establish operating models for a lasting impact.

Fund

Replicate success based on the measurable evidence of impact.

Contributing to Sustainable Development Goals:

Quality Education,

expanding opportunities

13.

Climate Action,

strengthening ecosystem resilience

15.

Life on Land,

protecting biodiversity

16.

Peace, Justice

and strong institutions

We connect people with technology, working on transferring innovation into lasting impacts for nature.
Bruce 'Doc' Watson, Executive Chairman and Founder, Connected Conservation Foundation

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