So instead of connected toasters and thermostats, we can have connected forests and wetlands.

Imagine if we were able to see the changes to an ecosystem the instant they occur. Our current monitoring approach involves sending scientists on expedition for periodic assessments of the ecosystem. Threats are then identified through watching the yearly decline of critical animal and plant species. While there may never be a replacement for informed boots-on-the-ground, we now have the capabilities for low cost and persistent monitoring of the things that could cause those declines. We can literally see the threats the instant they occur. This IoT for the planet could help to open up new possibilities for scientific data collection and environmental protection (from poaching, overfishing, and resource exploitation) on a magnitude that was never possible under the previous scientific expeditionary model. So how would these innovative technologies change the way we conduct expeditions?

This is exactly what the Okavango Wilderness Project and Into The Okavango is looking to do.

Our expedition travels through the Delta (and beyond) using the traditional dugout canoes (called mekoros) from the baYei tribe. We stream all the data we collect real-time as we move along, including GPS location, research observations, wildlife sightings, biometrics, photos, audio clips, and scientific data. This is a new paradigm in expeditionary science, where all the scientific data collected becomes immediately open and shared with the world. You can watch the current #Okavango15 expedition unfold live on the Into The Okavango website and pull any data you would like to use through the website’s API.

During #Okavango14, I installed three prototype water quality sensor platforms outside of a camp at the top of the Delta. These were solar powered and used the Raspberry Pi microcomputers to send water chemistry data back to the team through cellular networks. While these worked beautifully, the main goal was to understand the complexities behind deployment of sensitive IoT electronics in a wetlands habitat. As one would imagine, there are quite a few details to get right.

This year, for #Okavango15, the goals are much grander. We are starting to create an extensive network of environmental monitoring stations throughout the Delta and it’s inlet waters. The hope is that we can start an unprecedented collection of fundamental data around water quality and flood dynamics to help us understand and protect this immaculate habitat. These open source platforms will collect scientific data where there was none before and connect this ecosystem to notify us, real-time, if anything starts to decline. If mining activity or oil exploration occurs in the headwaters of the Delta, we hope to see it the instant it happens. If we can catch these ecosystem threats as they occur, we have the potential to save wildlife and mitigate the consequences. During my time on #Okavango15, I will be installing these sensor networks at four camps (which will be covered in a later Medium post). After the expedition I will post the designs and code online under an open license, so anyone can attempt the things we have done here. Over the next few years, we will be continuing to build this network out across key parts of the Delta and the headwaters from Namibia and Angola. We will also be expanding this model beyond the Okavango across critical river, lake, and marine systems globally.

The Okavango Delta on the evening this post was uploaded. Photo: Shah Selbe.

Thankfully the days of environmental technophobia seems to be subsiding. The use of drones for conservation is a large driving force behind the shifting public opinion around that technology. Foundations and governments have launched international technology challenges to solve some of the greatest environmental problems. A movement seems to be growing around conservation technology and the potential for it to completely change the effectiveness of our efforts. There are a handful of us working hard to make this a reality. The internet of things has a place here and what we are doing for #Okavango15 is a small step in that direction.

Tomorrow I meet with a bright engineering student at the University of Botswana to discuss opportunities in conservation technology. Most engineering education points students towards established industrial and manufacturing sectors, largely focused making this planet an easier place for its human inhabitants. This is not a bad thing. We will always need engineers focused on creating a better and safer built world for people. However, there is potential to bring engineering thinking into solving some of the planet’s biggest problems, particularly in conservation. We can engineer to save wildlife.

It may be the best chance we have to protect this planet.