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SMART Partnership announces release of SMART Mobile

For immediate release

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Global Wildlife Conservation (GWC) changed its name to Re:wild in 2021

SMART Mobile provides the best solution for capturing conservation data

For immediate release

June 22, 2020

The world’s leading protected area management solution is now available for your mobile. The SMART partnership is excited to launch SMART Mobile, the SMART data collection solution for mobile devices.  SMART Mobile capabilities will allow conservation practitioners including park rangers, protected area managers and other frontline staff to easily, accurately and quickly collect and upload data for analysis and action. 

SMART Mobile revolutionizes field data collection and monitoring by using readily available smartphone technologies to enable georeferenced field observations, photos and other data to be captured using a single interface on one device. SMART Mobile can be used in terrestrial and marine environments, minimizing the time between data collection and management response allowing for greater conservation effectiveness.

“SMART Mobile is a huge leap forward," said Jonathan Palmer, SMART Chief Technology Officer and executive director of strategic technology, WCS. "We are so excited to be providing the ability to automatically generate rich and modern data collection forms.” 

SMART Mobile is part of the SMART decision support system for protected area management, designed to improve anti-poaching efforts and overall management effectiveness in conservation areas to improve protection of wildlife and their habitats.

The best solution for capturing conservation data

SMART Mobile offers functionality and user experience enhancements requested by field practitioners, as well as much tighter integration with other SMART tools, such as SMART Connect, allowing real-time data transfer and alerts that enable rapid operational responses. 

“Making it quicker and easier to collect and act on data is essential for effective conservation action," said Richard Bergl, chair of the SMART Steering Committee and director of conservation, education and science at the North Carolina Zoo. "Especially given the current global situation, with threats like poaching escalating, it is more important than ever for park managers to have immediate access to information which helps protect wildlife.” 

SMART Mobile includes all common smartphone navigation controls, such as touch/swipe and pinch and zoom controls, as well as advanced mapping and navigation, support for multiple languages, simple recording of complex observations, automated tracking of patrol data, real time alerts and many other new functions. SMART Mobile is powered by CyberTracker, a proven, collaboratively-developed solution that has been deployed successfully in hundreds of sites globally for over 20 years. 

SMART Mobile was developed and extensively tested through an interactive process with SMART field practitioners in conservation areas around the world. This development and testing process is part of the SMART Partnership’s long-term commitment to support protected area field staff with convenient, reliable and user-friendly tools that address real needs, as well as ongoing support and training for users globally.

“SMART Mobile puts data collection for protected area management in the hands of the protectors; the men and women that manage, protect, research, and raise awareness of the world’s most important places," said Barney Long, senior director of species conservation at Global Wildlife Conservation. "It will make their job easier and save time so they can focus on protecting the world’s parks.” 

For more information on  SMART Mobile  and for immediate download visit www.smartconservationtools.org/smartmobile 

Established in 2011, the SMART Partnership has become the global leader in protected area management solutions, offering an integrated suite of powerful tools and services to help conservation practitioners improve management effectiveness and better protect wildlife. Current SMART Partnership members are: Frankfurt Zoological Society, Global Wildlife Conservation, North Carolina Zoo, Panthera, Peace Parks Foundation, Wildlife Conservation Society, Wildlife Protection Solutions, World Wildlife Fund, and Zoological Society of London.

Additional quotes

Alexander Wyatt, WWF Wildlife Crime Initiative

"The release of SMART Mobile represents a significant improvement, particularly for those tasked with collecting the data in the field. The streamlined user interface makes recording observations quicker and easier and the ability to support any language and display information as icons means that more people can now collect data more effectively."

Thien Le Quoc, WWF Vietnam

"SMART Mobile has greatly increased the convenience of data collection during patrols since we now have a GPS, a data sheet, a map and a compass all integrated into one application."

Clarine Kigoli, SMART Capacity Trainer, ZSL

“SMART mobile comes with a host of new features that makes data collection quick and easy for rangers and other protected area staff” said Clarine Kigoli, ZSL’s SMART Capacity Trainer. “In particular, the use of high resolution icons means its use can transcend language barriers, and greatly facilitate the use of SMART by staff in cases where they may be unable to read instructions” 

Denton Joachim, a Senior GIS Technician and SMART Lead at Peace Parks Foundation

“Peace Parks Foundation is proud to be part of a global partnership that continuously works to advance the use of technology in conservation monitoring and reporting. The new mobile app is yet a further step forward in innovating data collection for SMART users. The look, feel and functionality has been overhauled and is way more efficient and user-friendly. It is definitely going to be helping conservation areas and data collectors do their work with ease.” 

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Photo: Photo courtesy of the Zoological Society of London

Global Wildlife Conservation

GWC conserves the diversity of life on Earth by safeguarding wildlands, protecting wildlife and supporting guardians. We maximize our impact through scientific research, biodiversity exploration, habitat conservation, protected area management, wildlife crime prevention, endangered species recovery, and conservation leadership cultivation. Learn more at https://globalwildlife.org

Contact

Lindsay Renick Mayer

Global Wildlife Conservation

lrenickmayer@globalwildlife.org

512-686-6225

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