Peace Parks Foundation is training rangers working in protected areas such as Nyika National Park, on how to use Geographic Information Systems (GIS), a fancy word for cutting-edge conservation technologies.
Training in using SMART (Smart Monitoring And Reporting Tool), includes how to use CyberTracker, an app running on mobile devices to collect data while on patrol. This way rangers can easily and accurately collect and record law enforcement and species sightings data when out in the field.
Data collected from conservation areas is extremely valuable. It can help to monitor wildlife movement and poaching activity, which enables improved conservation management and planning for more effective anti-poaching operations.
Here at Nyika, data collected over time will highlight the effectiveness of the conservation work being done and therefore affect strategic decision-making. For example, it can help determine how resources should be used within the park, sharpen the effective deployment of valuable and scarce resources, especially when used to prevent illegal activities.
SMART, as well as GIS training, is structured around providing conservation professionals and students with a solid theoretical background. Training is presented in a formal class structure, as well as practical field exercises to test their newly learnt skills. Providing this type of training is vital because it empowers field teams and builds the capabilities of rangers while at the same time enabling accurate and standardised data being collected in protected areas.
SMART is a unique example of a global conservation NGO partnership that includes many organisations such as the Frankfurt Zoological Society, Global Wildlife Conservation, North Carolina Zoon, Panthera, Wildlife Conservation Society, Wildlife Protection Solutions, World Wide Fund For Nature, and the Zoological Society Of London. As Peace Parks Foundation is also part of this SMART partnership, they provide regular training to those involved in anti-poaching and other conservation efforts.
