The DataMangrove Sustainability Analytics Data Hub
The DataMangrove Sustainability Analytics Data Hub is a crucial resource for students participating in the Costa Rica experiential learning course. It functions as a centralized repository, housing data from all related projects. The hub allows students to click on a specific project, view a comprehensive description, and download pertinent data in their preferred format. The hub also provides access to past project records, serving as a foundation for further work. The DataMangrove Sustainability Analytics Data Hub ensures the continuity of each project, enabling future students to build on previous research, thereby contributing to the ongoing advancement of sustainability studies.
Ocean Microplastics Tracking
Microplastics threaten marine life. To tackle this issue, students are creating a data tracker to examine microplastic trends at Las Baulas National Park. This project, a collaboration among McGill University, Reserva Conchal, and Parque Nacional Marino, aims to protect nesting Leatherback Turtles at Playa Grande. Students will work with stakeholders to devise waste reduction strategies, drawing on ocean current analysis and plastic lifecycle modeling. During the project, the students will support park workers in beach cleanup efforts for data collection, thereby gaining a deeper understanding of local conservation initiatives.
Wildlife Refuge
Deforestation and fires pose a significant danger to forests, especially in GuanacasteCosta Rica, a region experiencing higher than-average forest loss. Local organizations are devoted to reforestation and biodiversity restoration.\n As part of this effort, students will create a mobile app to monitor animal diversity in the reforested areas, employing clustering and geographic analysis techniques. The Wildlife Refuge project is a joint venture between McGill University and Reserva Conchal. Workers at Conchal monitor, protect, educate, and collect data on the biodiversity in the reforested reserve areas. The app will supply collaborators with sighting data tied to geographic coordinates, aiding in the creation of animal sighting heatmaps and forecasting animal movements within the reserve. This will help Reserva Conchal predict animal movements and biodiversity indicators. While in Costa Rica, students will learn about the natural processes in a tropical forest, the intricacies of its biodiversity, and the nuances of data and insights into the natural world.
Compost Management Project
Improper waste disposal threatens biodiversity, negatively affecting humans, animals, and the environment. In the Compost Management Project, students are developing a web app to analyze compost and waste data from hotels, resorts, and residences near Playa Conchal. This tool will offer stakeholders valuable data to understand, report on, and predict waste production, thereby bolstering waste reduction efforts. During their stay in Costa Rica, students will collaborate with Reserva Conchal and other stakeholders to create and apply waste reduction strategies, encompassing waste forecasting, what-if analyses, and compost optimization. They will evaluate the web app's requirements while learning about local compost production and waste reduction tactics.
Beehive health analytics
Bees are threatened by climate change, invasive species, and habitat fragmentation. Understanding the environmental impacts on honey production and bee health is essential. Students will develop a bee health dashboard to analyze honey production and hive population trends at Blue Zones Nicoya. This dashboard will provide stakeholders with clear visual data on bee health. Students will also work with stakeholders to formulate and execute strategies for bee health, such as introducing new flower models, optimizing honey production, and protecting bees from predators. During their Costa Rica visit, students will support beekeepers in hive health monitoring, honey extraction, and data collection on environmental factors.
Building Monkey Bridges
In Costa Rica, hundreds of monkeys die yearly due to vehicle collisions or high-voltage power line accidents. Community organizations have proven that canopy bridges safeguard the howler monkey population by allowing them to cross the road and evade these hazards. Students will create an optimization model while leveraging geolocation and machine learning strategies to determine strategic monkey bridge placement, a joint effort involving McGill University, Reserva Conchal, and SalveMonos. During their visit, the students will have an opportunity to build a monkey canopy bridge. SalveMonos, a local organization, helps prevent monkey injuries by working with locals to identify high-risk areas.
Wildlife Refuge Analytics
Deforestation and fires pose a significant danger to forests, especially in Guanacaste, a region experiencing higher than average forest loss. Local organizations are devoted to reforestation and biodiversity restoration. As part of this effort, students will create a mobile app to monitor animal diversity in the reforested areas, employing clustering and geographic analysis techniques. The Wildlife Refuge project is a joint venture between McGill University and Reserva Conchal. Workers at Conchal monitor, protect, educate, and collect data on the biodiversity in the reforested reserve areas.
The app will supply collaborators with sighting data tied to geographic coordinates, aiding in the creation of animal sighting heatmaps and forecasting animal movements within the reserve. This will help Reserva Conchal predict animal movements and biodiversity indicators. While in Costa Rica, students will learn about the natural processes in a tropical forest, the intricacies of its biodiversity, and the nuances of data and insights into the natural world.
Farm Tasker
We aim to collaborate with Costa Rican small-scale farmers to enhance their access to farming data. Many of these farmers transitioned from the tourism industry to agriculture in response to job losses during the COVID-19 pandemic. These small-scale farms, which operate on tight budgets and cultivate diverse crops, face considerable logistical challenges. The biggest one is that they track their entire farming operations via handwritten notes.
Our goal is to develop applications that provide reminders tailored to the needs of each individual crop—that is, when does a crop require to be fertilized, inspected, transplanted, or germinated. These reminders will enable the farmers to prioritize their tasks, ensuring that crucial crop care measures are never missed.
To create this app, we will collaborate with multiple organizations, including Las Huertas de Conchal and Creciendo Juntos.
