Profiling Global Forest Watch & Project Noah – Leading Edge Watchdog Networks
Thursday, September 11, 2014, 11 AM – Noon Eastern Time
Host: Anthony Williams, GSN Executive Editor
Global Forest Watch (GFW) is a global Watchdog Network that improves transparency and accountability in forest management decisions by increasing the public’s access to information on forestry developments around the world. Project Noah is an award-winning software platform designed to enable citizen scientists to collect important ecological data and help preserve global biodiversity using mobile technology. The underlying principle in both initiatives is that increasingly powerful information technologies make transparency one of our most potent mechanisms for strengthening the incentives for responsible industry practices and building the capacity for sustainable forest management. A moderated discussion with GFW and Project Noah program leaders will share key lessons learned, challenges and future opportunities of these technology-enabled networks.
Webinar Guests
Crystal Davis, Senior Manager, Global Forest Watch, World Resources Institute. She works with companies and organizations to use better information about forests to mobilize more effective, rights-based conservation and sustainable management. Crystal previously worked on strengthening forest governance Brazil, Indonesia, and Cameroon with WRI’s Institutions and Governance Program.
Global Forest Watch (GFW) is a dynamic online forest monitoring and alert system that empowers people everywhere to better manage forests. For the first time, GFW unites satellite technology, open data, and crowdsourcing to guarantee access to timely and reliable information about forests. GFW is free and follows an open data approach in putting decision-relevant information in the hands of governments, companies, NGOs, and the public. Learn more in GSN’s case study profiling Global Forest Watch.
Yasser Ansari, Co-Founder, Project Noah. He studied molecular biology and bioinformatics at U.C. San Diego and spent time researching plant genomics at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. After the lab, he moved into the wireless industry where he helped design and develop hand-held radiation detectors, gaming accessories, and new mobile software at companies including Kyocera, Qualcomm, and Peek. He earned his Master’s degree from NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program and holds several technology patents.
Project Noah is an award-winning software platform designed to help people reconnect with the natural world. Launched out of NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program in early 2010, the project began as an experiment to mobilize citizen scientists and build a digital butterfly net for the 21st century. Backed by National Geographic, Project Noah is mobilizing a new generation of nature explorers and helping people from around the world appreciate their local wildlife. The Project Noah community is harnessing the power and popularity of new mobile technologies to collect important ecological data and help preserve global biodiversity.