Cisco, Conservation Group Expand Wildlife Tech Training
Cisco and Connected Conservation Foundation expand beyond sensors and drones to skills training, with a new Cisco grant for infrastructure and education.
The story in focus
Cisco and Connected Conservation Foundation, partners for over a decade on anti-poaching technology, are broadening their work to include technician training for people near protected areas. The group says its systems protect 46 conservancies across 15 countries, and a new Cisco grant will support infrastructure upgrades and education.
- CCF and Cisco say their technology protects 46 conservancies across 15 countries.
- A free online Protected Area Technician Training Program launched last year.
- CCF plans to use a new Cisco grant for infrastructure and education.
From pilots to national systems
Connected Conservation Foundation and Cisco have worked together for more than a decade on tools to protect rhinos, elephants, gorillas and other endangered animals in South Africa, Kenya, Uganda and elsewhere. Those tools include networking, connected sensors, smart cameras and drones.
CCF chief executive Sophie Maxwell said the partnership has shifted from pilots to national scale, with in-country stakeholders running sovereign systems. She described the change as addressing enabling factors alongside the technical systems, with education chief among them.
Training local technicians
CCF and Cisco Networking Academy launched a free online Protected Area Technician Training Program last year, integrated into education centers near preserves such as Lapalala Wilderness in South Africa. The program includes sponsorships and internships, according to Cisco's Ian Robertson, and aims to prepare local residents to maintain the technology and open new career paths.
CCF argues that without trained technicians near protected areas, its systems cannot scale or be sustained, and that new economic opportunities can reduce pressure from poaching and trafficking. Maxwell said the Cisco grant will support infrastructure upgrades and more emphasis on education, while describing potential future uses of AI in conservation as a forecast rather than a delivered capability.
What is the new Cisco grant intended to fund?
According to the article, the grant will support infrastructure upgrades and an increased focus on education within the Connected Conservation Foundation's work.
Sources & further reading
- Saving wildlife treasures, with innovation and human skills ↗newsroom.cisco.com
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