Advancing Conservation through Connection: dispatches from the inaugural International Conservation Technology Conference
Esri thanks WILDLABS for hosting their inaugural International Conservation Technology Conference [wildlabs.net] (ICTC) in Lima, Peru. Esri was excited to sponsor and participate in the event and engage more deeply with the community. We were joined by colleagues from Esri's Peru Distributor Telematica, and Esri Business Partners Earth Analytic and M.A.P Scientific Services. Below, we want to share a summary of what we heard, the discussions we had, and exciting and relevant updates for our community of conservation practitioners around the world.
A Robust Community: It’s clear – there’s no lack of technology being used in conservation! ICTC brought together 600 global conservation experts for 5 days. There were two days of hands-on workshops and then Plenaries and Sessions that focused on sharing and learning how conservation technologies are being designed, financed and implemented.
Many Solutions, One Mission: Conservation organizations worldwide are working toward the same goal: gaining a deeper understanding of biodiversity in the places they manage and rely upon. This shared mission has given rise to a wide and growing ecosystem of hardware and software solutions, each reflecting the priorities, contexts, and creativity of the communities behind them. While many of these efforts have produced innovative tools and meaningful outcomes, organizations increasingly face a common challenge - integrating technologies and insights in ways that support holistic understanding and sustained impact at scale.
Geography is a common language: At the heart of this expanding ecosystem of conservation technologies is a shared need for a common language, one that can bring together data from many sources, across organizations, and over time. Geographic information systems (GIS) provide that foundation by organizing information around place. By integrating data from sensors, field observations, remote sensing, and community knowledge, GIS enables shared understanding through maps that support analysis, collaboration, and informed action.
Esri’s ArcGIS system is designed to support this holistic approach. As a comprehensive GIS, it enables organizations to create, maintain, and use a shared spatial picture that supports systems of record, engagement, and insight. This capability is especially critical in protected and conserved areas, including national parks, private reserves, and Indigenous and community-managed lands, where intensive monitoring is required to protect biodiversity while sustaining social and economic benefits. When well-managed, these landscapes support ecosystems, livelihoods, and local economies alike.
At the International Conservation Technology Conference (ICTC), the need for integration and interoperability was a recurring topic. Protected area management technology providers such as Esri, SMART-EarthRanger Conservation Alliance (SERCA) came together not only to share solutions, but to openly discuss how these platforms can work better together. While each system provides powerful capabilities, limited interoperability continues to place an unnecessary burden on frontline conservationists.
To address this challenge, a 90‑minute Discussion Circle convened practitioners, technologists, researchers, and implementing organizations to focus on integration needs across SERCA and ArcGIS. Participants shared how current workflows are deployed in the field, identifying common friction points and recurring challenges related to spatial data, synchronization, training, and capacity. They emphasized the importance of continued support for offline data collection, real‑time sensor visualization, automated reporting, advanced spatial analysis, and systems that are ready for emerging AI applications. Just as importantly, participants highlighted the need for easier configuration of secure integrations between commonly used platforms, along with clearer documentation, automation, and community‑based resources that make advanced capabilities more accessible. Together, these conversations reinforced a clear message from the community: innovation is not the limiting factor, connection is.
In late 2025, SMART and EarthRanger announced the formation of SERCA, bringing together SMART’s planning and analysis strengths with EarthRanger’s real-time operational capabilities into a single, more unified approach that enables users to move more easily from data to decision to action using the best of both. Many organizations rely on these platforms for adaptive management and real-time operational awareness and are eager to better connect those capabilities with GIS capabilities such as advanced geospatial analysis, visualization, automated reporting, and collaboration and storytelling. Conversations at ICTC helped clarify both the shared interest in deeper integration and the practical challenges organizations face in bringing systems together without added technical burden. We are grateful that this convening helped surface common needs and priorities across the community, and we are encouraged by the momentum it has created. Esri is excited to play a supporting role as these efforts continue, guided by our commitment to open data, open science, and long-term collaboration in service of the conservation community.
Together, these discussions point toward a shared future in which diverse conservation technologies function as connected systems rather than isolated tools. By investing in integration and collaboration, we aim to help ensure that the passion and innovation across the conservation community translate into collective understanding and mission impact at scale. This will include:
- Esri is exploring what it can do to enable an ArcGIS integration for SERCA. We’ve gathered preliminary technical information from SERCA and will be formulating integration options that Esri can maintain. This is in the early stages! The best way to stay up to date is to ensure you’re signed up to receive our Conservation e-Brief.
- Esri is launching a new ArcGIS Solution for Protected Area Management on April 1st. This Solution improves upon the Conservation Solutions that ArcGIS end users have been deploying since 2020, and the new PAM Solution will provide a repository for SERCA integration datasets and two-way sharing. The Solution will be made available in ArcGIS Online and Enterprise Solution Apps, with Esri Product Documentation and Technical Support.
- Esri is reaching out to organizations around the world that are already working with SERCA and ArcGIS, to invite them to describe their experiences working between these systems. We also want to test early integrations with these organizations, to improve the integration products before they are released. We want to hear from you!
- Esri will host additional Conservation Sessions at events throughout 2026, including the Esri User Conference and Esri Eastern Africa User Conference, Society for Conservation GIS Annual International Conference, Land Trust Alliance Rally, and more to come! Esri will provide support to Esri Distributors and Business Partners around the world who can support deployments of the ArcGIS Solutions for Protected Area Management and future integrations, when available.
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