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Programming to Help Conservation

news.ycombinator.com

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Re: Programming to Help Conservation

#2

Post by bush-bby »

Sadly there’s not much. As for existing tech, it’s pretty much GIS or nothing. Cataloguing data, as in where certain animals/plant species were seen or tracked. That’s about it sadly :/ it’s just not much of a crossroads. The best defense against poaching we have atm is people on the ground, anti poaching persona. This is because the majority of poachers are people living in/off the bush. The people that catch them are doing the same. However it’s not hopeless, if you are interested in GIS there are places an engineer can go.

Re: Programming to Help Conservation

#3

Post by brudgers »

There's a guy who writes software for California Condor Conservation.

I met him in a parking lot at Pinnacles National Park where there is a full press California Condor conservation effort.

He was wearing a California Condor embroidered hat. A California Condor on his tee shirt. Carrying a Canon with a long lens because he had been out on the high peaks photographing California Condors early in the morning.

His California Condor software is written as a contractor. He was between contracts...end of fiscal year...so he was out doing California Condor conservation (documenting individuals) in his non-working time.

My sense is that's what it probably takes to get that kind of work. Honest commitment to an organization's mission first.

Because if we're sitting in the NGO's board meeting. technically competent and committed candidates who attend the fundraisers will beat candidates who are only technically competent.

Or to put it another way, nobody is going to hire you because it's your dream job. They will hire you because of their dreams.

Good luck.

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