Technical solutions to pollinator problems (lightning talk)

Technical Solutions to Pollinator ProblemsDebugging Bees and Butterfliesby Randall G Arnoldoriginally presented at ThoughtWorks Dallas Holiday Meetup Mashup, Addison Treehouse, 2015

Who am I?

Randall (Randy) Arnold aka “texrat” Systems engineer for BNSF Railway Developer evangelist (Nokia, Intel) Community and event organizer (Startup Weekend, Great Seed Bomb, etc) Speculative fiction author (unsettled.space)

so What’s going on with

pollinators, and why should we

care?

Defining the

problem(s)

Decline of natural pollinators (bees, butterflies)

Negative impact on ecology and economy

Education/awareness gaps

“Did you know that more than 700 plants are pollinated by

bats?”

http://pollinator.org/brochures.htm#bats

“The number of Monarch butterflies wintering in Mexico plunged [in 2014] to its lowest level since

studies began in 1993.”

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/01/29/monarch-butterflies-decline/5028977/

“Pollinators contribute more than 24 billion dollars to the United

States economy, of which honey bees account for

more than 15 billion dollars through their vital

role in keeping fruits, nuts, and vegetables in

our diets.”

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/06/20/fact-sheet-economic-challenge-posed-declining-pollinator-populations

What’s required

for solution

s

Measurable, actionable pollinator data

High cooperation between stakeholders: citizens, government, agribusiness

Public engagement/support

“Monarch butterflies wintering in Mexico

could nearly quadruple in number

[in 2015] thanks to actions taken by the

United States, Mexico and Canada…”

http://news.discovery.com/animals/insects/monarch-butterfly-population-may-quadruple-in-mexico-151113.htm

Hey, maybe we just need some

cool projects

…

Some promisin

g projects

Eyes On Hives

Pollinator Partnership

The Great Seed Bomb

Eyes On Hives

Monitoring solution that non-intrusively helps beekeepers keep an eye on hive health, with software that measures hive activity and video highlights of the hive entrance.

image courtesy Keltronix http://keltronixinc.com

Tech level: high

Pollinator Partnership

The Pollinator Partnership’s mission is to promote the health of pollinators, critical to food and ecosystems, through conservation, education, and research [largely via S.H.A.R.E. site registration map].

Tech level: medium to high

image courtesy Christi Nielsen Photography http://christinielsen.com

The Great Seed Bomb

image courtesy Christi Nielsen Photography http://christinielsen.com

A 15-mile fun ride benefiting bees, monarchs and other pollinators that first took place November 14, 2015 in Fort Worth, Texas. More rides planned!

Tech level: low to medium

SummaryPollinators are in

trouble!

Technology can help!

Thanks for your interest!

Randall G Arnoldrandall.arnold@texrat.net

All unattributed pollinator photos courtesy Carol Leonardi Clark