How can we transform a world of data into a world of actionable information to address environmental issues?
We are living in an era where the scale, complexity, and speed of data generation about the world around us presents virtually infinite information, thanks to ever-evolving technologies including modern satellites providing 24/7 monitoring of our earth, drones surveying vast and largely inaccessible areas, and other forms of remote sensing. Traditional methods of analyzing environmental data are insufficient to meaningfully process it, let alone develop actionable insights for decision-makers.
At the Sabin Center, our Faculty Affiliates and Fellows are pushing the boundaries in the generation and application of artificial intelligence and computational sustainability to our most pressing environmental problems.
The Intelligent Remote Sensing in Conservation and Discovery Lab (IRSC) brings together faculty from Computer Sciences, Engineering, and Biology to advance work on critical issues including protected area management, human-wildlife conflict, and environmental degradation. The IRSC explores novel methods and applications for computational technology in the fields of conservation and ecology, including accurate satellite and drone image segmentation, data fusion, high performance computing solutions, and software development.
The IRSC’s work has been instrumental in advancing our understanding of Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM) in the Peruvian Amazon, helping not only to more accurately quantify the nature and scale of its environmental impact, but also to predict where new mining activity is likely to occur. And to ensure this technology is put to use by environmental stewards on the front lines, our Connecting Cultures [link to CC page] delegation of young Indigenous leaders receive training on drone usage for monitoring and protecting their territories in the Amazon. Hear more about their experience as reported by WFDD Public Radio.
Environmental
Dynamics Lab
Led by Sabin Center Board Member Lauren Lowman, the Environmental Dynamics Lab explores how spatial and temporal changes in water availability impact overall ecosystem health, productivity, and sustainability. The Lab’s analysis incorporates engineering, physics, biology, chemistry, hydrology, and ecology, employing Computational Modeling, Geospatial Analysis, and Field Experiments featuring both ground-based and aerial measurements to further their understanding. The Lab is currently studying the interplay between fire conditions and ecosystem health in the Southeast.


The Di Vittorio Lab
Led by Faculty Affiliate Courtney Di Vittorio, The Di Vittorio Lab develops satellite-based data products, hydrologic modeling, and decision support tools, studying areas from the American Southeast to the Sudd wetlands. Dr. Di Vittorio and her team are currently developing satellite-based water quality algorithms for High Rock Lake, North Carolina, augmenting more expensive in-situ water collection with satellite-based estimates of water quality for more comprehensive and data-driven water quality improvement plans.

Human-Wildlife Conflict: Ancient Challenge, Advanced Tools
Watch the video: Pilot Mountain has a deer problem. Drones can help.
Human-wildlife conflict has existed for as long as human activities and wildlife needs have overlapped – which is to say, for all of human history. From competition for grazing lands, to the reintroduction of predators like wolves in lands adjacent to livestock ranching, to concerns around zoonotic diseases, threading this needle remains a complex undertaking. And it’s one where the Sabin Center’s experts in AI and remote sensing have made incredible strides, from the iconic landscapes of Yellowstone and the Peruvian Amazon to Pilot Mountain State Park, just up the road from Wake Forest University.
When Working Lands Meet the Wild: Living with Wolves from Yellowstone to the Outer Banks
View the discussion of Dr. Liz Rutledge of the NC Wildlife Federation and Brian Yablonski, CEO of PERC (Property Environment Research Center talking about the unique dynamics that play out when humans and protected wildlife have to coexist.
