16.02.24

Building Biodiversity Champions: nCount Training for Advanced Ecological Monitoring in Odisha

On 15 February 2024, a specialised training programme on inventory mapping was held in Jashipur, Mayurbhanj district of Odisha. Organised at Vasundhara’s office, the session centred around the innovative nCount platform and aimed to build capacity among Vasundhara staff and community volunteers. The training combined classroom instruction with field-based learning, integrating nCount with Open Data Kit (ODK) Collect to streamline ecological data collection. It underscored the importance of inventory mapping in supporting community-led conservation and sustainable resource management initiatives.

nCount: A Platform for Ecological Innovation

The training highlighted the practical application of nCount, an innovative platform designed to enhance ecological knowledge and strengthen the stewardship of natural resources. It integrates gamification, remote sensing, and computer vision to create an engaging and interactive system that revitalises biodiversity data collection.

By incorporating remote sensing, nCount enables real-time observation and analysis of ecosystems, offering indispensable insights for conservation work. Moreover, its use of computer vision substantially improves the accuracy of species identification and population monitoring, deepening the collective understanding of biodiversity dynamics. Therefore, nCount not only accelerates biodiversity research but also strengthens governance models for the sustainable management of natural resources.

Extending its utility beyond traditional forest ecosystems, nCount integrates visual object recognition with environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding, where DNA stands for ‘deoxyribonucleic acid’. This innovative pairing streamlines the assessment, evaluation, and monitoring of natural ecosystems, enhancing the platform’s capability to support comprehensive ecological research and conservation strategies.

The training served as a hands-on demonstration of these capabilities, allowing participants to experience firsthand how nCount can be applied in real-world conservation contexts.

Inclusive and Practical Field Training in Suanpal: A Community-Based Approach

The participation of five Programme Assistants from diverse districts—Mayurbhanj, Deoghar, Kandhamal, Nayagarh, and Sambalpur—reflected the programme’s inclusive nature and strong emphasis on collaborative learning. After completing the required internet-based registration process, the participants proceeded to a nearby forest to test the practicality and efficiency of the nCount-facilitated data collection process, highlighting the platform’s user-friendliness and effectiveness.

With practical forest training completed, participants turned their attention to Suanpal village in Jashipur, where the application of nCount highlighted the tangible benefits of inventory mapping. Dialogues with Vasundhara staff focused on the strategic use of nCount technology to support future forest conservation and management efforts. These discussions were especially relevant given the village’s attainment of the Community Forest Resource Rights (CFRR) title in 2014. Furthermore, efforts are underway in Suanpal to establish a Community Forest Resource Management Committee (CFRMC), reflecting a forward-looking approach to leveraging nCount for both community and ecological gains.