Uses Indigenous knowledge

Coastal Guardian Watchmen Network, Canada

Local Guardian Watchmen are collaborating and coordinating their monitoring efforts on the North and Central Coast of BC. The Regional Monitoring System (RMS) was developed because Coastal First Nation communities have a strong desire to monitor and understand the health and status of cultural and natural resources in the region and address common concerns.

The CoastTracker used CyberTracker software to improve data integrity, data entry and spatial data. The first digital version of the RMS was built on CyberTracker forms in specialized handheld devices, which launched in 2011. This system was adopted by the Coastal Stewardship Network (CSN) through a knowledge exchange with the Australian Indigenous Rangers programs, which already used CyberTracker for its work. While the CyberTracker was a valuable tool over the following seven years, it had several limitations, including the dependence on specialized data gathering devices, an outdated user interface, and difficulty in creating data collection forms and maintaining the data in a Drupal database. These limitations prompted a more ambitious redevelopment of the RMS as an Android application backed by a PostgreSQL database, led by the nations and implemented by CSN team members.

CyberTracker plays an important role in providing communities with an easy platform to get started, empowering them to develop their own platforms that better suits their requirements.

Technology for Stewardship and Sovereignty