ShadowView

ShadowView is an organisation which focuses on supporting conservation using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).

ShadowView
Founded2012
FounderStephen Roest, Laurens de Groot
TypeStichting Foundation (Netherlands) Registered Charity (UK)
FocusConservation
Location
MethodAdvanced Technology
Key people
Stephen Roest, Laurens de Groot, Rob Thielen
Websitewww.shadowview.org

History

ShadowView was founded in 2012 and launched publicly in January 2013. The organisation operates as a registered charity in the UK and a Stichting or Private foundation in the Netherlands. On 4 July 2013 ShadowView announced that it had received charitable status in the Netherlands and was formally named ShadowView Foundation.[1] ShadowView's stated mission is to provide cost effective UAV solutions to non profits and civilian operations. In collaboration with League Against Cruel Sports, ShadowView claim to be the first organisation to use UAV's to monitor and document potential wildlife crime in England.[2]

ShadowView was founded to address the need to support conservation organisations in their battles to protect the natural environment. ShadowView provides aerial surveillance and monitoring through the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), used primarily in Wildlife conservation (working with non-profits and NGO's to monitor disaster relief situations, poaching and wildlife crime, habitat destruction, biomass management and general conservation efforts)

Supporters to the ShadowView Foundation include Rob Thielen who is chairman and founder of Waterland Private Equity Investments based in the Netherlands, and co-founding partner of Elbrus Capital, a Russia based private equity group.[3][4]

Operations

ShadowView supports the League Against Cruel Sports in documenting illegal activity relating to fox hunting in the UK.[5] ShadowView also has active projects in the Mediterranean monitoring for illegal drift netting with The Black Fish.[6] On August 26, 2013 the ShadowView Foundation announced an agreement with Oceanwise Expeditions to protect marine wildlife at the World Heritage Ningaloo in Western Australia.[7]

In November 2013 ShadowView confirmed deployment of their Eco Ranger, Shadow Ranger and Shadow Rotor UAS in the Greater Kruger area for anti poaching operations.[8]

ShadowView Eco Ranger

ShadowView continued to operate throughout 2014 in a variety of private reserves in South Africa.[9] In January 2017 The Internet of Life and the ShadowView Foundation organisations co-developed a LoRa-equipped sensor that is implanted directly into the rhino’s horn. The sensor gives park rangers the ability to accurately monitor the whereabouts and activities of the endangered black rhinos and keep them safe from poachers. The LoRa-equipped tracking sensor is part of a comprehensive LoRaWAN™-based IoT security solution that is deployed throughout Mkomazi National Park.[10][11]

Controversy

There has been some controversy in the media surrounding the use of UAV or "drones" in the countryside of the UK with the Countryside Alliance suggesting the use of drones might be dangerous to people and animals[12] ShadowView respond to the controversy of using drones, saying they fly within CAA flight regulations for missions across the UK.[13] In December 2013 International NGO 'Free the Slaves' announced it would partner with ShadowView and use UAV to identify illegal slavery, the reception in India was mixed with some of the public supporting the concept and some voicing concern of the use of drones.[14]

References
  1. "ShadowView receives charitable status". 4 July 2013.
  2. "Drones may be used to target illegal hunting". BBC online. 16 March 2013.
  3. "Forbes Rob Thielen". Forbes. May 2014.
  4. "Rob Thielen".
  5. "Animal activists to use drones in fight against illegal hunting". Times online. 16 March 2013.
  6. "Innovative technology to seek out illegal driftnets". The Black Fish. 14 March 2013.
  7. "ShadowView takes off at the Ningaloo World Heritage site to protect Australia's marine wildlife". 26 August 2013.
  8. "ShadowView using UAV for wildlife monitoring, conservation and anti poaching operations in the Greater Kruger National Park".
  9. "Rhino-saving drones: How UAVs are being used for wildlife conservation". Metro News UK. 9 May 2014.
  10. "Semtech LoRa Technology Tracks Location of Endangered Black Rhinos in Africa". GlobeNewswire.com.com. 17 Jan 2017.
  11. "Rhino horn sensor implants prevent poaching". IT Web Emerging Technologies. 18 Jan 2017.
  12. "Anti hunting group hires "ethical"surveillance drone". Newscientist.com. 21 March 2013.
  13. "Technology to the rescue for wildlife". sustainablebusiness.com. 22 March 2013.
  14. "Free the Slaves".
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