RFCx Hardware

RFCx has created project-specific solutions for monitoring biodiversity and detecting illegal activities. Our hardware offerings include the RFCx Guardian and the RFCx Edge, both with specific strengths and goals in mind. 

Guardian: A device which streams acoustic data to the cloud and provides real-time monitoring. Guardians consist of a custom board, weatherproof box, antenna, microphone, and solar panels adapted to collect the light that makes its way through the canopy.

 

Edge: An acoustic logging device that listens for sound from audible into ultrasonic frequencies, and records uncompressed audio to SD cards. They are easy to install and can be configured by an app. They are used for in-depth short-term biodiversity assessments.

Every new project site has challenges, and we have been deploying an entirely new version of the Guardian since October 2020. We have been learning much about some of the nuances of the device. For example, we learned that in European environments we need additional solar panels in order to capture the low winter light. 

Huawei Cloud AI and Tools

Our AI model for chainsaw detections are modified and strengthened with support through our partnership with Huawei, and all data collected in our Huawei-sponsored projects is stored on the Huawei Cloud. Huawei has cooperated with RFCx to develop more accurate intelligent algorithm models based on Huawei's advanced artificial intelligence service (Huawei Cloud AI) and tools (ModelArts) to achieve more accurate identification of illegal forest activity (the sounds of chainsaws, vehicles etc.). In addition, Huawei is helping RFCx build intelligent models that detect and analyze the sounds of fauna, providing information about their habitat, threats, and even life habits, helping local partners protect endangered species.

RFCx's partnership with Huawei, including being granted usage of the Huawei Cloud for data storage and analysis, has enabled us to expand and refine our offerings like never before. Huawei and RFCx have worked together to develop innovative platforms that include equipment collection, storage services, and intelligent analytics.

 

Pursuing strong corporate partnerships, like Huawei, allows us to more efficiently tackle challenges through their support and tools. Huawei has enabled high precision models,which will significantly reduces the rate of alert false positives.

 

Raising awareness about wildlife conservation

Conservation behaviors  are considered essential actions that tremendously influence ecosystems. Environmental behaviors are essential to ecological conservation and to environmental protection.It is important to involve the citizens in the domain of the conservation of the environment and biodiversity conservation. Our scientific studies revealed that the respondents reported a lower level of practices in the conservation of species. Solutions have been initiated, the most important of which is to educate the inhabitants to encourage them to conserve the species. Education sessions were carried out by the author and his collaborators during the two las decades with local inhabitants, students, associations and authorities. As part of their scientific research, they visited most of the villages. They discuss with people the ecological and economic roles of biodiversity and the importance of conserving it.

In recent years, the roles of wild animals in their ecosystems have been more widely appreciated and today, the management of biodiversity is a priority for the Moroccan Government, authorities, NGO and civil society.

The local people opinion plays a vital role in the conservation of biodiversity and environment. In general, when inhabitants understand the ecological and economic roles of wild fauna, they spontaneously participate in its conservation.

Developing effective local people-wildlife conflict mitigation strategies

The human-local people conflict may act as factors in the decline of biodiversity. Our scientific studies showed that there is an increasing in the local people-wildlife conflict in the central High Atlas.The predation of livestock (carnivore species) and Crop raiding (wild boar, Barbary macaque, etc.) are the main causes of the local people-wildlife conflict and of negative attitudes toward the wild species. Several techniques were proposed to reduce the risk of depredation of livestock by wilds predators and and the risk of crop damage by Herbivorous species:

- 1. Education to raise the awareness of the local people about the ecological and economical roles of wildlife and provide the public with information on the benefits of wild animals and their ecological and economical roles.

2. Encourage residents to use some techniques to protect livestock and to keep wild animals away, such as a livestock guard dogs, prompt and proper disposal of livestock carcasses to eliminate attractants that could draw carnivores, and monitoring and pasturing of livestock and fields.

3. We are currently preparing a compensation programs to assist local people by reimbursing them for losses attributable to wild canids.

 

 

1. The contributor is a researcher who was born and lived in the central High Atlas for 40 years. He is known in the region, which facilitates the transmission of messages about biodiversity conservation. He communicates with the local inhabitants through the Tamazight language, which is the native language of the contributor. He also participates in several educational, cultural and scientific activities in this region.

2. The central High Atlas encompass an area of 10 502 km² and have a rich and varied biological diversity.
 

 

Education and the awareness-Raising Session for Local Officials and Communities on the Importance of wildlife conservation, and the use of possible and simple techniques to keep wild animals away  mitigate the conflict between local people and wildlife and and it resulted the conservation of species and habitats .

Identification and sthrength of OECM in Colombia

For the last 60 years, a great number of rightsholders in Colombia have promoted sustainable management and biodiversity conservation of their territories beyond protected areas, even though their conservation efforts have not been recognized as important elements of climate-smart land planning and have very little governmental support. 

 

The project’s overarching goal is to strengthen and make visible the culturally rich and socially diverse conservation and sustainable production initiatives that different Colombian actors are implementing, as a contribution to sustainable development that does not impoverish the country's natural patrimony.

 

As their identification as Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECM) is an opportunity to visualize those efforts, Resnatur and partners have been working for several years in adapting the OECM identification criteria to the Colombian context together with 27 initiatives, according to the international framework. 

 

This project contributes to the implementation in Colombia of the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Decision 14/8 of 2018 that “Encourages Parties and invites others, in collaboration with indigenous peoples and local communities, to apply … …advice on OECMs”; … “Identifying OECMs and their diverse options within their jurisdiction;”

  • The adaptation of the international framework and especially the OECM criteria of the IUCN guidelines and the Decision 14/8 of 2018 to the Colombian context.
  • The application of OECM criteria on a case by case basis.
  • The development of two methodological processes to apply the OECM criteria and to identify the elements to be strengthened.

• OECM framework allows to recognize other forms of conservation and governance.

• Capacity building is needed to apply the OECM criteria in a bigger scale.

• National authorities should be involved in the discussion on how to apply the criteria.

• More resources will be needed to identify OECMs and to monitor the biodiversity outcomes.

• OECMs must be areas maintaining high biodiversity value. There is a necessity to develop participative monitoring methodologies.

• OECMs are an oportunity to increase connectivity, effectiveness and climate change adaptation of protected areas systems.

• OECMs are key elements to Post 2020 Biodiversity framework goals.

Teach the community the skills of Improved Cooking Stoves (ICS)

After understanding bad effects of cutting trees for heating energy, the people look for an alternative to reduce deforestation. The majority concluded to learn how to efficiently use less bulk of trees with same results in energy. Thus, the adoption of improved cooking stoves reduce the use of wood by 30% with the same result in heating.

Within 4 months the cohort is taught how to mix availbale materials turning them in good ICS (clay, sand, used ironsheet, ). They are taught from scratch and become good ICS maker not only for household use but also for sale.

 

The availability of financial resources: To produce ICS requires a mix of different materials that need to be bought though not expensive(used ironsheet, nails, sand, clay).

Informed community: The knowledge of people enhance the right choice, ICS is one solution but there are other alternatives that might be used including those that are harmful to environment. It is required to educate the community to get good result as well as educating direct beneficiaries   before any activity to be conducted for getting the best of the solution

The participation of the local community is the key to all achievements and sustainability of solution in environmental matters. We learned that when the action respects the win-win rule, then there is an interest of all stakeholders. The skills in ICS making was a big benefit for the community, which was motivated and contributed to achievements of our goals.

To increase the awareness of the community on the role of environment in the wellbeing of the humanity

To get the awareness of the community and sustainability of our solution we teach the community through public meeting, in chuches, on radio talks and with any other means that delivers information. We prepared an education module that help community to have a full package: explanation of concept "environment", involved parties, the threat to environment, the role, rights & obligations of the community in environmental protection. In partnership with schools we make study tours in parks and other reserves help the community to understand the environment.

1. The appropriate collaboration of local leaders: Local leaders provide tremendous support in mobilization but they create also an enabling environment and in the reinforcement of laws related to environment.

2.  The availability of financial resources: In some parts, the implementation of above building block requires money to pay some necessities such as printings, airtalks, park visiting, etc.

The first lesson is that when the citizen is well guided, he undestands the importance of the environment protection and he is ready to act accordingly . Another lesson is that the environment can regenerate itself when taken care of. Forcing the community is not a good option for a sustainable solution in preserving the environment. Teaching them to get the personal commitment is the best alternative.

Community Partnerships and Multi-Generational Gathering

The success of the Yerba Mansa Project relies on community-building. This includes supportive and collaborative relationships with a variety of institutions including public libraries, government land management agencies, environmental- or conservation-oriented non-profits, area schools, or local businesses that share our values and mission. These mutually beneficial partnerships provide critical donations and financial support, new ideas and expertise, legal coverage for events, and also bring different people together who may have a variety of interests and connections. For example, local schools need to meet curriculum requirements in various subject areas and can accomplish that by participating in educational events that also further advance the goals of your programs. Land management agencies may provide support and benefit from invasive species control on their properties. Such partnerships may even be required as in the case of working on public lands. Additional opportunities for community-building come through offering events that are accessible and of interest to all ages. Reaching out to families with children lays the foundation for advancement of your program’s mission into the future while designing activities that encourage participation from elders incorporates their knowledge and experience.

Community support and participation are increased when activities are of interest and provide meaning to a variety of people, align with the goals of other like-minded organizations, and are widely accessible. In other words, programs should reflect something that unites the community. In the case of YMP, our riparian habitat is beloved for many different reasons by many different people and embodies our shared values of land and culture. Our events are all-inclusive providing roles for people with physical limitations or hands-on activities to engage children.

As we offered more co-sponsored events attracting a wider variety of people, we learned how to make our events more accessible. Restoration field work can be very physically demanding and tiring. In order to incorporate elderly folks and others with physical limitations we designed low-impact activities. For example, some people were more able to participate when offered a job of working with an assistant to simply clip seed heads of invasive species and put them in a bag while sitting in a shady area. Alternately, for field classes offered to our youngest students, we developed additional sensory-based and hands-on activities to accommodate more active bodies.

 

The pandemic presented an opportunity to make educational events more accessible, too. By offering free online classes via Zoom we enabled safe participation during a contagious outbreak and also provided access for people living in remote rural areas or other states. We adapted classes to include photographic slideshows for discussions on plant identification and uses. We also did demonstrations on how to prepare herbal remedies and wild foods in a cooking-show format.

EP RESOLUTION 2

A method of combating plastic pollution and organic matter in the ocean.

The EP in collaboration with O.I.N.G PACO have set up a multi-community committee for the environment. Collective action to combat plastic pollution in the towns of the African community.

1. Effective coordination mechanisms, but less practical

2. B1000B waste management methods effective and implemented progressively

PE RESOLUTION

program created to contribute to sustainable development
the ability of states to better control the movement of populations in order to preserve the environment.
the environment.

Program goal :
(First phase)
1. study new methods and carry out in-depth research to develop new
new technologies for the development of the
ENVIRECOLOGY
2. Teach and train future Doctors, Experts, Specialists and Practitioners in the
Envirecology profession
3. Create and develop new scientific and technical bases and strengthen the methodology
methodology and expertise of Men and Women in favour of
ENVIRECOLOGY

Teaching list :

1. Certain geographical areas in Cameroon require in-depth studies in soil management,

2. The microclimate is difficult to adapt to,

3. The communities in the various regions are experiencing growth due to a lack of rehabilitation,

4. Public spaces require constant assistance to minimize the environmental footprint in urban environments,

Solutions with less impact :

1. Behavior change,

2. Unsanitary conditions,

3. Adaptation methods for behavior change,