Long-term biodiversity monitoring increasingly depends on technologies that can collect, transmit, and store data across diverse and often remote landscapes. Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) offer powerful tools for in-situ environmental monitoring, enabling continuous, real-time tracking of parameters that indicate or affect the ecosystem health at a resolution and frequency that traditional surveys cannot match. However, designing and implementing these systems is complicated and the decision to adopt such systems often hinges on a clear understanding of the technology options, implementation and running costs, and the integration potential of the data into broader biodiversity health frameworks.

This workshop is designed for decision-makers, project managers, and conservation leaders seeking a practical, high-level understanding of wireless sensor networks. Rather than focusing on technical minutiae, we will explore real-world case studies, illustrate how different types of WSNs have been used in various contexts such as ecological restoration in conservation areas. We’ll also be broadly discussing the technical options that would need to be weighed for a given landscape and the approximate total implementation cost.

Participants will gain a high-level understanding of:
• Real world case studies of wireless sensor networks in a biodiversity monitoring context
• Technology trade-offs such as range, power, cost, and environmental robustness
• Total cost of ownership, including deployment, equipment, maintenance, and data management
• How to integrate sensor network data into a larger information system to quantify ecosystem health or impact of ecological restoration works

Total: 180 mins