Resources

On the islands of Malaita, Central, and Guadacanal, Indigenous Solomon Islanders have stewarded their lands and waters for thousands of years, holding their “Sky Aelans” sacred. Today, they are threatened by outsiders, who illegally cut and sell old-growth trees, cut away the protective mangroves, pump out gold from rivers, and build secret roads into the forests teeming with life. A collaboration among local and global groups has sprung up to blend traditional knowledge with cutting-edge tools and technologies to ensure the effective protection of these remarkable islands.

While there is a wealth of spatial data and tools available to support forest protection, these resources often remain inaccessible to the communities that need them most. To bridge that gap, Conservation Metrics, along with UNDP, the Equator Initiative, NASA, Nature4Climate, Awana Digital, Rainforest Foundation US and Global Forest Watch, developed an online, self-paced certificate course to equip Indigenous and frontline communities with foundational knowledge and practical skills to map, monitor, and manage their forests.

The vulnerable California red-legged frog faces pressure from farmers who need their breeding grounds to irrigate crops. Conservation Metrics, is using machine learning technology to better identify the frogs’ habitats and flag them for protection.

Thought to be extinct on the Hawaiian Island for centuries, Newell’s Shearwaters and Hawaiian Petrels were found using acoustic monitoring.