CivTech 5 Challenge 2 - How can we use technology to estimate herbivore populations and their impacts across Scotland in a greener and more cost effective way?

Description

The current preferred method of herbivore population assessment is expensive and has a high carbon footprint – we need to find greener and more cost-effective ways of collecting, collating, quality assuring and sharing the data relating to this task. Scottish Natural Heritage undertake herbivore population assessments in order to determine and manage populations. This challenge will specifically focus on deer counting. The current methods of gathering data – primarily through helicopter flights – are costly and have a high carbon footprint. Furthermore, methods of collating, quality assuring, presenting and sharing the data are also fairly costly in terms of staff time needed to ensure a high level of accuracy to generate stakeholder confidence in findings.
So how can we use technology to estimate herbivore populations and their impacts across Scotland in a greener and more cost effective way?
Please note: Scottish Natural Heritage will soon be changing its name to Nature Scot
Please visit our website for information on CivTech and how to get involved
https://www.civtechalliance.org/civtech-innovation-flow