Community-led vermicomposting using water hyacinth
Individual fodder cultivation for sustainable livestock management
Women-led eco-nurseries for reforestation and livelihoods
Elevating public awareness
Featuring black bear science education as an exhibition zone in the Hubei (Wuling Mountains) Wildlife Specimen Museum, externally promoting and popularizing species knowledge and project achievements. Nature educators organized public museum tours, conducted wildlife rescue activities, science lectures, etc., with annual public reception exceeding 35,000 person-times. By displaying spectacular black bear footage captured by the project, publishing science articles, and streaming real-time videos, visitors observed bears without disturbance. In recent years, illicit excavation, deforestation, and poaching have nearly vanished. Local residents now fully recognize the species’ importance; diverse educational approaches fostered comprehensive multidimensional understanding of Asian black bears, acknowledging them as part of the reserve community while avoiding intrusion into bear habitats.
1.Biodiversity conservation concepts have landed and rooted in China; vigorous publicity and retransmission by major mainstream media elevated attention to black bears; 2.High prioritization by Houhe NNR management leadership; full cooperation from the reserve’s professional nature education team; continuous reporting by communicators; 3.The reserve possesses an effective external display platform—a multifunctional, technologically advanced specimen museum with diverse exhibition methods, centrally showcasing outcomes of black bear initiatives; 4.Obtained black bear footage was exceptionally compelling, shattered traditional perceptions, and sparked public discussion.
1.Timely dissemination of project outcomes within reserve communities invited media to narrate black bear stories; collaborated with residents to film species-related documentaries, enhancing community recognition; 2.The reserve regularly submitted promotional materials to CCTV, leveraging mainstream media for nationwide publicity, amplifying project influence; 3.Published research findings in academic journals, targetedly proposing species conservation and human-bear conflict mitigation solutions; 4.Research outcomes require transformation into science education materials easily understood by the general public.
To effectively resolve wild beasts harming farmers, the Houhe Reserve invested 244,000 yuan, purchasing 63,000 meters of fencing nets for free distribution to communities, and issued 160 sets of prevention alarms; explored installing 5,000 meters of pulse electric fences; annually acquired 50,000-100,000 yuan in wildlife damage insurance, installing real "insurance" for residents' production and livelihoods. Through alarms, fencing nets, and electric fences, effectively warned of black bear presence, blocked bears from entering community areas, alleviating human-bear conflicts.
.1.Social organizations’ attention to "human-bear conflicts," opening purchase and compensation channels for wildlife damage insurance to reserve communities; .2.High prioritization by reserve management leadership, annually directing dedicated funds for purchasing related materials and wildlife damage insurance.
.1.Alarm installations maintained appropriate distances from residential points, reducing triggered alarms and noise disturbances to residents while effectively warning of wildlife proximity. .2.Protective fencing requires sufficient coverage area to effectively safeguard residential zones and production assets. .3.Wildlife damage insurance claim recognition and compensation procedures need optimization toward intelligence—current recognition processes and compensation implementation require substantial manpower with lengthy process completion times. .4.Alarms and fencing only partially mitigate human-bear conflicts; amid expanding black bear populations, new pathways must be explored to balance wildlife conservation and community development.
Infrared camera traps obtained photographs of a black bear
Infrared camera traps obtained photographs of a black bear in upright posture.
The Houhe NNR applied for financial support through multiple channels, and the black bear survey project secured 300,000 yuan from the "Green Mountains Public Welfare Nature Conservation Initiative" fund. Subsequently, scientific staff from the Houhe NNR selected 20 high-frequency black bear occurrence sites to deploy infrared camera traps, installing three infrared cameras at each trap point to capture individual identification markers of black bears. Simultaneously, they collected bear feces, hair, and other trace information to assist in population analysis. Using infrared camera traps, they identified and marked a portion of captured individuals, estimated the black bear population size in Houhe via mark-recapture methods, and concurrently conducted surveys through semi-structured interviews, completing a total of 193 questionnaires.
1.Sufficient funding ensured carrying out team investigations, study tours, and fieldwork; 2.Invited relevant experts from the Chinese Academy of Forestry's Forest Ecology and Environment Institute for on-site guidance, enabling reserve researchers to master relatively mature survey and research techniques and methods; 3.An enthusiastic research team ensured the effectiveness of the work; 4.Full cooperation from community residents who truthfully provided feedback completed the questionnaire surveys; 5.The black bear species possesses distinctive traits – the V-shaped chest patch can serve as an identification feature for individuals.
1.Invited community residents familiar with mountainous terrain to participate in fieldwork, and conducted initial technical training for field staff at the project's outset; 2.During the preparatory phase, utilized monitoring data from past years for preliminary analysis, laying the foundation for subsequent field deployment planning; 3.Community survey sample size and representativeness were limited—193 questionnaires could reflect some issues, but coverage of more villages and diverse stakeholder groups (farmers, tourism practitioners, conservation staff) would yield more comprehensive data; 4.Integration of multi-year monitoring data and long-term monitoring mechanisms need improvement; current data primarily supports short-term research; recommends establishing a black bear population dynamics database, combining GIS technology to analyze human-bear conflict hotspots, providing basis for long-term conservation.
The Protected Area Management System (PAMS) by NOARKTECH is a centralized, intuitive dashboard aggregating data from edge devices. Co-designed with forest officials and community members, it delivers predictive analytics, real-time alerts, and supports evidence-based decision-making.
User-focused design through participatory field engagements
Integration of remote sensing data and satellite overlays for broader context
Offline functionality and multilingual interface increase usability across regions
Adaptive interfaces tailored to specific users (rangers, farmers, analysts) increase engagement
Alert fatigue can be reduced by dynamic thresholding and contextual relevance
Sustained use requires continued training and localized support channels
NOARKTECH’s WildGuard AI uses on-device Edge AI models and LoRaWAN communication to process data locally and transmit alerts even in low-connectivity regions. This low-power, scalable network allows instant wildfire detection, animal tracking, and real-time environmental monitoring.
Flexible integration of open-source LoRaWAN technology and compact AI models
Low latency communication ensures rapid response in emergencies
Collaboration with embedded system experts for optimized hardware-software synergy
Local capacity building ensures long-term reliability and system maintenance
Intelligent alert routing and data filtering are essential to avoid signal noise
Redundant communication strategies strengthen system resilience
WildGuard AI Sensor Ecosystem (Bio-Acoustic + Chemical + Climate Sensing)
FarmSentinel AI
NoArk Technologies
WildGuard AI
NoArk Technologies
NOARKTECH’s WildGuard AI integrates bio-acoustic microphones, air quality sensors (CO, VOC), and hyperlocal climate monitors to detect wildlife movement, forest fires, and ecological disturbances. This system enables real-time environmental intelligence for conservation, climate resilience, and human-wildlife conflict prevention.
Deployment of rugged, energy-efficient sensors suited for field conditions
Scientific validation in collaboration with academic and environmental institutions
Pilot deployments across Western Ghats and Northeast India
Sensor effectiveness improves with community-informed placement strategies
Continuous environmental calibration enhances precision over time
Environmental durability must be prioritized during design and testing phases
The creation of a comprehensive, open-access DNA reference library of native plant and animal species was foundational to our solution. Recognizing that global databases lacked coverage for many Eastern Mediterranean species, we built the first Lebanese library encompassing plants, mammals, and now expanding to insects, birds, and fungi. This reference database improves the accuracy of DNA sequence matching and enables precise identification of species present in environmental samples. It also fills a critical regional data gap and facilitates ecological studies, biodiversity monitoring, and conservation planning. By publishing the library openly, we promote transparency, collaboration, and the potential for adaptation in similar biodiversity hotspots.
Strong institutional support from Saint Joseph University, collaboration with local taxonomists, and access to specimens were vital. Funding from initial grants allowed sequencing efforts. Commitment to open data principles ensured broad accessibility. Support from iBOL facilitated integration into global databases, enhancing utility and visibility.
Building a reliable reference library requires significant coordination between molecular scientists and taxonomists. Accurate species identification depends heavily on quality-verified voucher specimens and metadata. The process is time-consuming but indispensable for meaningful metabarcoding results. Sharing the library openly generated interest and collaboration but also highlighted the need for continuous updates and expansion to cover more taxa. Engaging local experts fostered ownership and increased the scientific credibility of the data, ensuring the library’s sustainability as a national resource.
