In Rwanda, Learning Whether a ‘Smart Park' Can Help Both Wildlife and Tourism

Protected species of animals and plants are illegally sold online mainly due to buyers and sellers having no knowledge of laws or the consequences to the ecosystem. Enforcement Gaps Interface (EGI) is a software which uses machine learning to determine if the animal product is illegal or not.

As bee populations continue to decrease, beekeepers and scientists are left searching for solutions to sustain the colonies that are left. One possible solution may be adding probiotics to the bee's diet. Similar to the way humans react to foods high in probiotics, the supplement appears to boost the bees' immune system and increase their resiliency to various pathogens.

Feeding the raccoons in Montreal’s Mount Royal Park was a tourist activity promoted by websites and supported by park vendors selling cat food. When the result was overpopulation of raccoons unafraid of people, steps were taken to protect the raccoons including banning vendors and educating tourists about their impact.

Cheetah cubs are routinely smuggled through Somaliland on their way to being illegally trafficked in United Arab Emirates or Saudi Arabia. Although small and resource-deprived, Somaliland is taking a stand against this practice through increased regulations and punishments.

When a people in Playa El Jobo, La Cruz realized that their beaches were home to sea turtle eggs, they took action to protect the species by joining together. What started as a neighborhood effort to patrol the beaches has now turned into a successful NGO that collects data for research purposes and teaches tourists, students and children how to become research assistants.

In Washington State, wildlife overpasses and tunnels across I-90 are going a long way to reduce traffic collisions with animals. Even before its completion, coyotes and other animals are using one overpass to cross safely. These corridors have broad support across the country, though such projects can be expensive.

The gray wolf was on the Endangered Species list when they were first reintroduced to the West in 1995, and although they have made an impressive comeback, there is now a debate between ranchers and environmentalists about the best way to handle the influx of predators to their cattle. Ranchers like Joe Purdy in Montana have found a successful mix of nonlethal tactics to keep them at bay: patrol of the area during the hours of 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., wildlife cameras, inviting campers to stay, building fences, and more.

Local Ocean Conservation is in Watamu, Kenya has made approximately 21,000 turtle rescues and "treated more than 650 turtles in its rehabilitation center and clinic" since it's inception in 1997. The group responds to fishermen who have accidentally caught turtles in their nets and then remunerates the fishermen for their "time, effort, and phone calls." This incentive-based relationship combined with a ban on the international tortoiseshell trade has helped decrease the poaching of turles, and the group has now expanded their efforts to include more initiatives to protect the endangered species.

The nonprofit group Save Giraffes Now, the Kenya Wildlife Service, the Northern Rangelands Trust, and local community members are working together to save the endangered Rothschild’s giraffe species. Rising lake levels and flooding have stranded the animals on its island, so they made a custom-built steel barge to relocate them to a protected wildlife reserve. It’s not easy to move giraffes, but so far they’ve successfully moved three out of nine of them.

The nonprofit Coombs Outdoors runs summer and winter camps for youth to experience and learn about the outdoors. The camps are in high demand because of the affordable price made possible by donor subsidies.