Texas University Gets Grant From USDA To Develop AI For Wildlife Monitoring

Artificial Intelligence (AI) as technology is new, and used properly can help expand the capability of human beings. AI is defined as intelligence demonstrated by machines meant to simulate the natural intelligence of human beings. By utilizing machine-based intelligence, humans can expand progress and capability. The USDA’s Conservation Innovation Grant Program, an initiative of USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, has awarded a grant to this purpose. A team at Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences has been awarded almost $700,000 to develop a novel AI monitoring system for wildlife.

Creating Better Tools To Conserve Natural Resources

The Conservation Grant Program’s goal is to “supports the development of new tools, approaches, practices, and technologies to further natural resource conservation on private lands.”

The Principal investigator and CVMBS associate professor Dr. Donald Brightsmith and his team will use these grant funds to combine imaging, sensor, and camera data to create an innovative tool to monitor wildlife, specifically wildlife that is hard to observe. These wildlife types include nesting birds, pollinators, reptiles, and amphibians.

Here’s Who Will Be Working On This AI Initiative

While Dr. Donald Brightsmith and his team at Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences will be leading this initiative, they will be collaborating with other partners. Dr. Brightsmith’s team will be collaborating with colleagues from the University of California, Santa Barbara, the University of Hawaii. There will also be private industry partners involved in the development.

The ultimate goal of this inactive is to create a low-cost tool that is a functional and easy-to-use system. The system will allow producers to be able to monitor wildlife on their private land. The tool will also allow these producers to understand to be able to understand how their actions are impacting the local environment.

The current capability to monitor wildlife does exist using commercial cameras. The hope with an Artificial Intelligence-functioning tool like this is that the producers would have a much more complete picture of what’s going on.

Conservation Is Critical: The Environment Is Everything

Conservation and protecting the environment are super important, and an issue we care about at GrantWatch. To find grants that focus on Environment, check out our dedicated category on GrantWatch! If you have any questions regarding this category or any others, reach out to our incredible customer support team!