Citizen Scientists (Australia)
The Citizen Scientists are at the heart of the project – as it would simply not be happening without them. Each participant has received the new video camera trap technology on their land, along with a commercial camera trap that is being used as a control. They are keeping an eye on their cameras (there are always issues when you are testing a prototype!) and contributing to the data collection and analysis. The deployment just started recently after years of delay, and it has been amazing to work with such patient, enthusiastic and knowledgeable collaborators. Some regularly exchange about exciting wildlife sightings, and ideas to make the prototype camera more robust and easy to use. We are even lucky to count some very tech-savvy citizen scientists in the team, who have been providing invaluable help to actually bring the final camera prototype to life and keep sharing ideas for further improvements.
Don Driscoll (Australia) – Director
Don is a Professor of Terrestrial Ecology at Deakin University and the director of the Centre for Integrative Ecology. All of Don’s research has conservation biology as a central theme, with a focus on how species use whole landscapes, particularly the role of dispersal. A strong emphasis is being placed on testing ecological theory using applied conservation problems. He has created the TechnEcology Research Network, in collaboration with the Engineering Faculty at Deakin, the Arthur Rylah Institute and DELWP (Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning). In his free-time, you will find him bush-walking and searching for orchids or frogs.
Don LOVES frogs.
Anne Eichholtzer (France) – Project manager and coordinator
Anne is a PhD student at Deakin University conducting an inter-disciplinary project on the multiple values of Citizen Science (Ecology, IT and Social Sciences). She holds masters in Material Sciences and Business. They are not really relevant for this project but she just wanted you to know that she is educated. She is also a bit uncomfortable talking about herself in the third person…
I have taken over the TechnEcology project a bit more than a year now, and I am extremely excited to finally see it happen after (*) the lockdowns, and discover the first data from the Citizen Scientists!
(*) if you live in Australia
Thuy Nguyen (Vietnam) – Researcher
Thuy is a PhD student at Deakin University focusing on Computer vision-based Automatic Animal Monitoring. She holds a bachelor in Electronics and Telecommunications and a master in Electronic Engineering. Her role within the TechnEcology team will be to help find and adapt the best algorithms to sort through the data collected and hopefully automatically identify what is found on the land of the Citizen Scientists. In her free-time, you will find her meditating or doing yoga (what a healthy team we have!).
She is currently working from Vietnam because of the pandemic, but will hopefully join the rest of the team in Victoria soon!
Lorenzo Galletta (Italy) – Logistics and field work
Lorenzo is a PhD student at Deakin University studying the impact of climate change and heat waves on incubation behaviors for birds (zebra finches to be exact!). He holds a bachelor in Natural Sciences and a master in Conservation and Evolutionary Biology. Lorenzo has provided tremendous logistic support during the pandemic and definitely helped the TechnEcology project happen. He has also been volunteering to install the cameras and equipment in the field, and complete vegetation assessment surveys. In his free-time, you will find him rock-climbing and / or complaining about the fact that Australians add cream to their carbonara.
Outrageous.
Dean Corva (Australia) – Researcher
Dean is a Research Assistant at Deakin University and is currently undertaking a PhD in Biomedical Engineering. He holds an Honours Degree in Electronics and Electrical Engineering. Working under the supervision of Prof. Abbas Kouzani at the School of Engineering at Deakin University, he has contributed to the development of the new camera technology.
He is also the only who dressed up for the class picture. And we appreciate that.