9. Problems with Ravens...From Biologist to Eco-technologist: a 21st Century Conservation Tale (video)

Hardshell Labs is working on revolutionary applications of emerging technology to solve difficult conservation problems, largely centered on reducing the conflict between birds, humans and threatened and endangered species. Our speaker, Tim Shields, will describe these efforts and the conservation successes they have yielded, as well as the surprising benefits of the work for human safety, the reduction of losses to commercial interests and broader social benefits that have emerged. Starting from Hardshell's core mission to attempt to save the Desert Tortoise, he will trace a story of expanding positive results for a broad array of interest groups. Shields has had a five decade career as a field biologist and has focused throughout on population trends of the threatened Desert Tortoise, the California state reptile and the iconic species of our deserts. In the course of that work he witnessed and helped document a 95% decline in their numbers. In 2011, he switched from being a mere witness to the decline to one searching for tools that can stem the losses. This was how Shields fell into the rabbit hole of conservation technology and ended up being ""Tim in Wonderland."" Hardshell Labs has developed powerful tools to protect tortoises from a major threat: predation by burgeoning numbers of ravens throughout the desert. These include highly modified lasers, drones and the use of 3D-printed fake baby tortoise lures. The company is integrating AI and internet connections to achieve effective, remote and autonomous operation of these conservation tools. According to Shields, the big surprise has been the alignment of conservation, commercial, and social interests. They are now working on ways to prevent birds from nesting on electrical utility structures. By doing so they will reduce raven and other pest bird reproduction, reduce utility equipment loss to fires, and help prevent catastrophic wildfires. Finding these sorts of shared goals is an active effort by Hardshell and a strong motivator for making a difference in the natural community. Hardshell Labs: https://hardshelllabs.com The Patreon page for Hardshell Labs: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=82963386 The Hardshell foundational TEDx Berkeley presentation from 2014:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAhmvXmTDI0 ⁠⁠More about the Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley⁠⁠    Website: ⁠⁠Rotary.cool⁠ Meetings’ ⁠⁠Video Archive⁠⁠ YouTubeChannel⁠⁠  How to become a member in ⁠⁠this online Rotary eClub⁠⁠ ⁠⁠More about Rotary International:⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠www.Rotary.org⁠⁠ Find a ⁠⁠local Rotary club⁠⁠  Find an ⁠⁠online Rotary Club⁠⁠   Podcast and Zoom Host: ⁠⁠Rushton Hurley⁠⁠ Podcast Producer: ⁠⁠Elton Sherwin⁠⁠ Audio edited and enhanced with: ⁠⁠Descript Studio Sound ⁠⁠  #PositiveChange #Inspiration #Rotary