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The power and connectivity we hold through our mobile devices is remarkable. This advancement has allowed us to communicate across the world. It includes a camera, access troves of information, and much more - all in one’s pocket. While nature and technology can appear to be polar opposites on the spectrum, we can utilize digitization to not only keep ourselves linked to the natural world, but advance our understanding as well. 

The Wilde Backyard mobile application aims to promote multiple goals in our conservation efforts. 1) Increase awareness of the wildlife in our neighborhood and right outside our door. 2) Foster discussion, connection, and interaction between conservation enthusiasts. 3) Generate a rich dataset and coverage of residential wildlife presence across the country through the generous assistance of residents, trail users, and recreators.

Engineered in-house since March 2024, the app includes features allowing users to explore, share, and connect. Sightings in the form of photo/video are uploaded and retained in our database. Pertinent information such as time, location, species, and other metadata are entered through an intuitive interface or automatically populated from file data.

Reports become visible in the Global feed for others’ perusal upon submission. Users may receive more localized information by subscribing to areas by zip code or applying filters to queries. As for the social aspect, Wilde Backyard implements a simple but effective reaction/comment system to encourage discussion and community engagement.

Robust content moderation tools also ensure productive discourse and data integrity within the virtual space. The urban data adds to our existing data on municipal, state, and federal lands and will be made available to researchers to assist with not just our projects, but collaborative science as well. Future integration with our camera trap data processing software, Wilde Pod, will allow us to process this data efficiently through our volunteers and AI.

After extensive design and development, the Wilde Backyard mobile app will launch and be available to download on Google Play and Apple Store this fall. We are eager to proceed with launch and continue updates/maintenance into the future.

Do You Have 2-4 Hours A Month To Preserve Your Local Ecosystem?

Our volunteers are the driving force behind making true change in ecosystem health and wild cat conservation. Some like to volunteer in the field, others help us maintain our online presence, and some work with events. With just a few hours a month, you can make a difference, too.

See Volunteer Opportunities

Make A Difference Right Now

As a 501(c)3 nonprofit, our work is only possible because of generous donors like you.

More than 90% of your donation will go directly to our groundbreaking research, outreach, and education programs.

This is where true change starts. If you’d like to be a part of it, make a donation to Felidae Conservation Fund today:

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