How to Listen to the Rainforest and Protect It #CitizenScience #rainforest #science #environment #tech
When I last blogged about Rainforest Connection they were upcycling old phones and using them to be guardians of rainforests. By analyzing audio streams the organization is able to detect chainsaws and other hazards and send messages to people in the field to intercept illegal loggers and poachers. Recently I received an update from the team announcing their new mobile app, which I quickly downloaded. Not only does the app provide live streams from locations such as Ecuador, Romania and Brazil, but it also has 360 view available for some (VR cardboard friendly). It’s fascinating to see the locations of the hardware clusters and to have a sense of the beauty of the wildlife. The sounds are so colorful with collaboration from insects, leaves and the occasional bird. The images used to represent the different locations also offer further connection to the wildlife and people living on the land.
The organization has been expanding its network, both in hardware and allies.
Our system is currently deployed in Ecuador, Peru, Romania and Brazil, where we are listening across tens of thousands of hectares of endangered forest for sounds of illegal logging and other environmental threats. We’ve also developed close partnerships with government institutions, NGOs, and indigenous peoples – and we anticipate great things in the near future from these partnerships. In the next 6 months we are expanding our work further in the Brazilian Amazon.
Other news includes AI for sound detection, which will really make this a complete package. The work is timely considering preserving rainforests is one of the top ways to reduce global warming according to Paul Hawken’s new book Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming. So, check out the app available on IOS and Google for some rainforest enjoyment—it’s all about spreading the education.
Adafruit publishes a wide range of writing and video content, including interviews and reporting on the maker market and the wider technology world. Our standards page is intended as a guide to best practices that Adafruit uses, as well as an outline of the ethical standards Adafruit aspires to. While Adafruit is not an independent journalistic institution, Adafruit strives to be a fair, informative, and positive voice within the community – check it out here: adafruit.com/editorialstandards
Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7:30pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat and our Discord!