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Sunny (Yi-Chin) Tseng, MSc, BS
PhD Candidate
University of Northern British Columbia
Vancouver, British Columbia • Canada
Project Location & Description
Curonian Spit National Park & Žuvintas Biosphere Reserve • Lithuania
Despite Lithuania’s importance as a major migratory bird stopover and breeding region along the Baltic Flyway, its bird conservation efforts rely on a limited evidence base. Currently, there is no systematic, long-term program documenting avian presence and activity across the country’s diverse habitats. Sunny’s project will establish Lithuania’s first multi-year migratory bird monitoring program and baseline biodiversity dataset.
Building on pilot recordings from the 2025 breeding season, Sunny’s project will deploy 26 ARUs at two ecologically rich sites (Žuvintas Biosphere Reserve and Curonian Spit National Park) that represent wetland, forest, and coastal habitats. Recorders will remain in place for the 2026 breeding season, recording continuously to capture peak avian vocal activity at dawn and dusk as well as diel and seasonal variation in calling behavior. Acoustic data will be processed using AI-based species-detection tools such as BirdNET, with manually validated detections used to ensure accuracy and refine outputs.
With the help of local partners, this effort will advance scalable, non-invasive monitoring and conservation planning across key habitats. Success will provide validated acoustic datasets, standardized field protocols, and AI-assisted workflows for Lithuania’s national agencies and conservation partners to extend bird monitoring across critical habitats. Outputs from this project can also contribute to open-access data to platforms such as Xeno-Canto.
Research Bio
Sunny Tseng is a PhD candidate at the University of Northern British Columbia whose research explores how AI and bioacoustics can transform bird monitoring and conservation. She has conducted bird research across Siberia, Taiwan, Canada, and Lithuania, collecting vocalizations from more than 300 species. Sunny has been awarded an NSERC PhD fellowship, a National Geographic Explorer Grant, and several other research fellowships for her expertise in avian acoustic monitoring and ecological data analysis. Her PhD research aims to improve the reliability of AI-based bird sound identification by developing species-specific confidence thresholds for BirdNET detections. She also leads the development of BirdnNETTools.
Awarded: 26 Song Meter Micro 2
Cédric-Dubois Muliri, MSc
Teaching and Research Assistant
Official University of Bukavu
Bukavu • Democratic Republic of Congo
Project Location & Description
Itombwe Massif • Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
A new project in Africa is tackling a big question: Do two of the continent’s least-known nocturnal birds (Prigogine’s Owl and Prigogine’s Nightjar) still survive in their shrinking forest homes? Traditional survey methods have failed to detect either species, and ongoing forest loss from agriculture and mining further threatens their existence. At present, Prigogine’s Owl is Endangered and confined to a range of less than 100 km², and Prigogine’s Nightjar is known from a single specimen collected in 1955. Baseline data on these and other threatened nocturnal forest birds are needed in order to guide conservation planning and shape long-term monitoring strategies.
Cédric’s project will place ARUs along an altitudinal gradient (1,500–3,030 m) at targeted forest sites, where they will record nightly from 18:00 to 08:00 for 28 consecutive days, capturing peak calling periods for both species. Targeted playback using reference recordings will be conducted at standardized count points to elicit territorial responses and improve detection probability, following protocols successfully applied to Congo Peafowl surveys. Acoustic data will then be analyzed using Kaleidoscope Pro software to generate the first quantitative acoustic evidence for these species in decades.
Success will determine whether two Albertine Rift endemics, not confirmed in more than 70 years, still persist and will directly inform global conservation priorities. Project outputs include tested acoustic survey protocols for detecting elusive nocturnal forest birds, validated recordings that will be archived on open-access platforms (including Xeno-Canto and the Macaulay Library), and trained Congolese researchers equipped to apply bioacoustic methods.
Research Bio
Cédric-Dubois Muliri (aka M. Muliri Dubois) is a Congolese biologist and field conservationist born in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He is a teaching assistant at the Official University of Bukavu and Executive Director of Artemis Africa, an NGO that addresses urgent humanitarian and environmental challenges in conflict-affected DRC. Cédric specializes in forest ornithology with expertise in bioacoustics and playback techniques for threatened species. His recent research on Congo Peafowl at Lomako-Yokokala Reserve revealed exceptionally high densities using playback methods. He has received grants from the World Pheasant Association, ZGAP, the African Bird Club, and CARN Aspire for his conservation work in DRC forests.
Awarded: 5 Song Meter Mini 2 (Li-ion); 1 Song Meter Micro 2; 1 Kaleidoscope Pro License; Accessories
David William Fleck, PhD, MS, MA, BS
Field Coordinator
Acaté Amazon Conservation
Iquitos • Peru
Project Location & Description
The Matsés Communal Reserve • Peru
Dr. Fleck’s project places local expertise at the center of biodiversity monitoring in the Peruvian Amazon, where Matsés Indigenous community members will use PAM to document birds and arboreal mammals across their territory. Drawing on their deep knowledge of rainforest habitats and animal behavior, Matsés will place recorders where elusive indicator species (e.g., Harpy Eagles, Crested Eagles) and endangered species (e.g., Red Uacari Monkeys, Blue-headed Macaws) are most likely to be heard—but where camera traps often cannot reach.
Biodiversity monitoring in the Matsés Indigenous Territory currently relies on camera traps strategically placed using detailed Indigenous ecological knowledge and habitat classification systems. While effective for many terrestrial mammals, this approach underrepresents arboreal, nocturnal, and highly mobile species that are rarely detected by cameras or traditional trapping methods. This project will build on the existing Matsés community conservation framework by integrating ARUs and bioacoustic analysis to detect wildlife that is difficult to document visually.
With support from Acaté Amazon Conservation, Matsés will deploy Song Meters in their territory, recording on a fixed schedule throughout the year to capture diel and seasonal variation in vocal activity. Data will be analyzed to identify target species and characterize the overall soundscape structure using acoustic indices. Temporal patterns in vocal activity will be quantified and integrated with existing camera-trap data. Dr. Fleck will work with the Matsés to verify species identifications; establish a robust, community-driven baseline of rainforest biodiversity; and provide a blueprint for other Indigenous-managed territories worldwide.
Research Bio
Dr. Fleck was born in Lima, Peru. He is the field project coordinator for the NGO Acaté Amazon Conservation and a research associate of the American Museum of Natural History. He holds degrees (BS, MS) in zoology from the Ohio State University and two degrees (MA, PhD) in linguistics from Rice University. Academically, he specializes in mammalian biodiversity, the Matsés language, and ethnobiology. Residing permanently in Amazonian Peru since 2008, he coordinates conservation projects with the Matsés Indigenous community, focusing on the intergenerational transfer of traditional ecological and resource-management knowledge and its application to the ecological conservation of their territory.
Awarded: 4 Song Meter Mini 2 (AA); 4 Echo Meter Touch 2; 2 Kaleidoscope Pro Licenses
Dominika Winiarska, PhD
Research Assistant
University of Bialystok
Bialystok • Poland
Project Location & Description
Private Reserve Sites • Poland
Protecting Europe’s wading birds is becoming increasingly difficult due to agricultural intensification and the limitations of current monitoring approaches. In places like the Polish Society for the Protection of Birds’ (PTOP) grassland breeding areas, monitoring still depends on searching for nests by hand. While this yields high nest-detection rates, it requires repeated visits during the breeding season and carries a risk of disturbing adults or damaging nests concealed in dense vegetation.
Dominika’s project will test whether PAM can reliably count breeding birds at these sensitive sites. Passive acoustic monitoring has proven effective in louder, crowded colonies, such as those of seabirds and penguins, but wader breeding sites are quieter.
Song Meters will be deployed along the anti-predator fence enclosing PTOP grassland breeding areas and will record throughout the spring on a fixed sampling schedule, capturing daily rhythms and seasonal changes in wader vocal activity. Acoustic data will then be analyzed to characterize the overall structure of the soundscape using acoustic indices, and vocal-activity patterns will be directly compared with nest counts from manual surveys.
Winiarska’s project will deliver tested acoustic protocols for open breeding habitats, including validated soundscape metrics and vocal activity indices linked to breeding activity and abundance. Key outputs will include calibrated acoustic datasets, standardized field and analysis workflows, and benchmarks that compare PAM with traditional nest surveys. These could lead the way for scaling bioacoustic monitoring of waders and other disturbance-sensitive breeders.
Research Bio
Dr. Dominika Winiarska is an early-career researcher who defended her PhD at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poland in October 2024. Her dissertation examined the effectiveness of passive acoustic monitoring for bird studies. During her research, Dr. Winiarska measured species detection distances and analysed vocal activity patterns using Kaleidoscope software. She has extensive experience with Wildlife Acoustics equipment and deploying recorders. Throughout her doctoral work, she developed strong skills in acoustic data collection and analysis.
Awarded: 10 Song Meter Micro 2; 1 Kaleidoscope Pro License
Jyotish Ranjan Deka, MS
PhD Candidate
Department of Forest & Wildlife Ecology • University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, Wisconsin • United States
Project Location & Description
Orang National Park and Tiger Reserve • Assam, India
PhD candidate Jyotish Ranjan Deka (UW–Madison) is testing something bold in Orang National Park, Assam: Can we identify individual Bengal tigers by their voices? With four years’ fieldwork in Northeast India and a toolkit that spans camera traps to AI, Jyotish is integrating passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) to build a scalable, non-invasive way to track big cats across human-dominated landscapes.
The problem: National tiger monitoring leans heavily on camera traps, which are effective but costly, theft-prone, and hard to maintain outside core areas. Dense grasslands in Orang make visual methods even tougher. Building on recent successful acoustic identification of leopards in Tanzania, this project will assess whether tiger vocalizations contain consistent, unique signatures that can be used for reliable individual recognition. PAM will offer a (relatively) low-cost, theft-resistant alternative for long-term monitoring suitable for floodplain and human-dominated landscapes, such as Orang National Park.
How acoustics power the project: 24 Song Meter Micro 2 recorders will be installed near trails, water sources, and locations with known tiger activity or human use (e.g., forest edges, roads) for ~45 days spanning the winter and pre-monsoon seasons, targeting dawn/dusk roar activity while capturing prey calls and human disturbances such as gunshots, chainsaws, or vehicle noise. ARBIMON will be used for pattern-matching and annotation, and manually validated detections will be used to train convolutional neural networks (CNNs) using OpenSoundscape, an open-source Python library designed for bioacoustic classification. Outputs cross-validated with camera traps.
Why it matters: Success would be a first for wild Bengal tigers and a blueprint for National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and state agencies to extend monitoring beyond protected cores. Deliverables include trained models, field protocols for frontline staff, and datasets to guide policy—bringing a practical, non-invasive acoustic tool to tiger conservation where it’s needed most.
Research Bio
Jyotish Ranjan Deka is a PhD candidate in the Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, USA. His research focuses on large mammal ecology, landscape connectivity, and non-invasive monitoring techniques, with a particular emphasis on the Bengal tiger in Northeast India. Jyotish has over four years of field experience working in Assam, including with leading conservation organizations such as Aaranyak and the Wildlife Institute of India. He has expertise in camera trapping, occupancy modeling, and species distribution modeling, and is currently integrating passive acoustic monitoring into his doctoral research. His goal is to develop scalable tools to monitor tigers and other large mammals across fragmented and human-dominated landscapes.
Awarded: 24 Song Meter Micro 2; 1 Kaleidoscope Pro License
Brylle Vince Y. Abrea, BS
Master's Student
Institute of Biological Sciences • Central Mindanao University
Maramag, Bukidnon • Philippines
Project Location & Description
Karst & Cave Ecosystems • Bukidnon, Philippines
Led by Central Mindanao University (CMU) master’s student Brylle Vince Y. Abrea, this project tackles a major data gap: Mindanao has no published reference library for insectivorous bat calls. Working across karst habitats in Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, and Quezon, Bukidnon, Abrea’s team will record full-spectrum calls, link them to confidently identified individuals, and build the Philippines’ first Mindanao-focused bat call library.
Why it matters: A robust call library unlocks faster, noninvasive species ID, clearer insights into foraging ecology and habitat use, and scalable population monitoring—critical for protecting cave-rich karst systems under mounting pressure. The project also centers ethical practice: securing prior informed consent and permits, and collaborating with local stakeholders, including Indigenous communities, to align research with conservation priorities and knowledge-sharing.
How acoustics power the work: Handheld releases and short flight-cage sessions will capture clean search calls using Song Meter Mini Bat 2 and Echo Meter Touch 2 bat detectors; Kaleidoscope Pro analysis software will be used to extract parameters and classify call types to differentiate species and behavior. And expert collaborators will provide quality control and validation.
What to expect: An open, well-archived reference library, monitoring protocols, and training materials. The result: actionable data for managers, educators, and policymakers—and a foundation for future Philippine bat bioacoustics and co-created conservation.
Research Bio
Brylle Vince Y. Abrea is a master's student in biology at Central Mindanao University, majoring in systematics and minoring in biodiversity conservation. With a deep passion for animals and biodiversity, Brylle has always been especially fascinated by bats because of their unique ecological roles and behaviors. During undergraduate studies, Brylle conducted research on bat diversity assessment and habitat vulnerability, examining the distribution and environmental threats facing bat populations. As a graduate student, Brylle is eager to continue this research, focusing on bat ecology and the intricacies of their echolocation abilities. Ultimately, they aspire to pursue a career as a researcher or zoologist, working toward the conservation and understanding of bat species and their environments.
Awarded: 1 Song Meter Mini Bat 2 (Li-ion) and accessories; 1 Echo Meter Touch 2; 1 Kaleidoscope Pro License
Yoba Alenga, MSc
PhD Student
Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology
Arusha • Tanzania
Project Location & Description
Upemba National Park • Democratic Republic of the Congo
Early-career ecologist Yoba Alenga (NMAIST PhD student; Ecologist at Forgotten Parks/Upemba) is launching a park-wide passive acoustic survey in Upemba National Park, DRC—a biodiversity crossroads spanning Miombo (woodland), Muhulu (dry forest), and Mushito (gallery forest). From December 2025 to May 2027, Yoba will pair classical field methods with bioacoustics to document birds and small mammals (especially bats) and build a defensible baseline for long-term monitoring.
The problem: Upemba’s sheer size and habitat diversity make traditional, multitaxon surveys slow, costly, and prone to bias. The park is under-documented, yet conservation decisions can’t wait. This project asks two practical questions: What is the diversity of acoustically detectable mammals and birds across habitats? And how effective is passive acoustics for long-term monitoring and conservation planning in this landscape?
How acoustics power the project: Cost-effective Song Meter recorders will be deployed across priority habitats, recording bats overnight and birds at dawn in both wet and dry seasons. Data will be filtered and analyzed with Kaleidoscope Pro, R, and BirdNET Analyzer to estimate richness, detect spatial/temporal patterns in species presence, and flag disturbance indicators. Results will feed a broader monitoring framework alongside camera traps, GPS collars, and drones.
Why it matters: This is Upemba’s first systematic acoustic baseline for vocal mammals and birds. Deliverables, including species checklists, activity trends, audio samples, and spectrograms, will be shared with park managers and through publicly accessible biodiversity databases such as GBIF, and Xeno-canto, directly informing protected-area decisions. The approach is scalable, non-invasive, and repeatable—positioning bioacoustics as a cornerstone for evidence-based conservation in the DRC.
Research Bio
Yoba Alenga is an early-career scientist and PhD student at the Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology (NMAIST) in Tanzania. He is passionate about biodiversity conservation and is particularly interested in technology-based methods for wildlife monitoring. Yoba holds a master's degree in biodiversity and sustainable forest management from the University of Kisangani. Since July 2025, he has served as an ecologist at Forgotten Parks, a nonprofit organization in the DRC that manages Upemba National Park (UNP). His research enhances the understanding of forest ecology in Congolese Protected Areas by integrating classical and acoustic methodologies.
Awarded: 3 Song Meter Mini Bat 2 (AA); 2 Song Meter Mini 2 (AA); 1 Kaleidoscope Pro License
Connor Proudfoot, BSc
Master's Student
Animal Behavior & Cognition Group • Utrecht University
Utrecht • The Netherlands
Project Location & Description
Multiple Sites with Captive & Wild Vulture Populations • Europe & Africa
Utrecht University master's researcher, Connor Proudfoot, is launching a multi-year effort (Sept 2025–Dec 2028) to decode how vultures communicate. By recording both captive and wild populations (~12 species) across Europe and Africa, his project will map vocal repertoires and test whether social complexity drives vocal complexity—while turning those insights into practical tools for conservation that can inform captive breeding, support reintroductions, and advance knowledge on the evolution of complex communication.
The problem: Most evidence for the Social Complexity Hypothesis comes from a handful of well-studied species, leaving vultures—the world’s most threatened bird group—largely unexamined. To understand whether complex societies select for complex communication, we need objective, scalable datasets that span species, life stages, and contexts. This project fills that gap with a comparative approach grounded in bioacoustics, unsupervised machine learning, and phylogenetic comparisons across 10 Old World vultures (plus two outgroups).
How acoustics power the project: Proudfoot will use Song Meter Mini 2 acoustic recorders to capture vocalizations across diverse social contexts in both captive and wild populations. In single-species aviaries, recorders will be placed near high-interaction areas (e.g., perches, feeding stations, nests) to capture group interactions, competitive feeding, adult–chick exchanges, and early developmental stages in artificial incubation. In captive settings, recorders will be placed at nests to document parent–chick interactions and in areas where groups frequently gather. Directional microphones and video recordings will complement recorders, allowing for a connection between vocalizations and behaviors. All recordings, annotations, and related code will be shared openly (e.g., Xeno-canto).
Why it matters: Beyond advancing theory, findings will inform captive breeding and reintroductions, enable remote vocal monitoring of wild populations, and support EAZA programs for critically endangered Gyps vultures. By establishing vultures as a new model for complex communication—and providing a replicable workflow for other Accipitriformes—this project delivers actionable bioacoustic tools and open data to help keep nature’s cleanup crew on the wing.
Research Bio
Connor Proudfoot is a Master's student and research employee at Utrecht University, focusing on animal communication and cognition. His research seeks to establish vultures as a model for studying complex communication and to provide insights for their conservation. He began his work in bioacoustics at the University of Leicester, where he studied the effects of urban noise on European robins, published in Behavioral Ecology. He has also researched social learning in macaques. Recently, he characterized the vocal repertoire of Rüppell's vulture using machine learning methods and is now expanding this work to deepen understanding of vulture communication.
Awarded: 6 Song Meter Mini 2 (AA)
Alex Wilder, HBSc, MSc
PhD Candidate
Gotanda Lab • Brock University
St. Catharines, Ontario • Canada
Project Location & Description
Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo • Calgary, Alberta • Canada
At the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo, researchers are tuning into Humboldt penguin calls to better understand how these threatened birds communicate—particularly when it comes to recognizing mates. While avian vocal communication is well-studied in songbirds, penguins remain relatively understudied despite their complex social lives and conservation importance.
This project uses passive acoustic monitoring and video analysis to explore individual vocal repertoires and how penguins may use unique vocal signatures to recognize pair-bonded mates. Recordings will form the foundation for playback experiments, where researchers test behavioral responses to calls from partners, unrelated colony members, and even other species. By combining ethograms and acoustic data, the team hopes to determine whether vocal signals convey individual identity and social information.
The implications go beyond the colony. Findings could improve welfare practices in managed populations by supporting behavioral compatibility during breeding or inter-zoo transfers. Long-term, this research could inform conservation strategies such as translocations or reintroductions, where sensory-based priming—like acoustic cues—helps prepare animals for success in the wild.
This work lays the groundwork for deeper studies of vocal behavior in penguins and highlights how bioacoustics can support both animal welfare and the conservation of underrepresented species in avian communication research.
Research Bio
Alex Wilder is a PhD candidate in the Gotanda Lab at Brock University, studying how vulnerable species use different signals for communication. She began her research career in 2015 as an undergraduate in the Mennill Lab at the University of Windsor, working on avian bioacoustics and communication projects before completing an honors thesis on primate vocal behavior. During her master’s, she explored the effects of generational captivity and rearing temperature on brook trout in the Semeniuk Lab. Now, Alex combines her interests in communication, conservation, and managed care to investigate vocal signaling in Humboldt penguins at the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo.
Awarded: 6 Song Meter Mini 2 (AA)
Coen Hird, BSc (Hons), PhD
Associate Lecturer
School of the Environment • University of Queensland
Brisbane, Queensland • Australia
Project Location & Description
Guanaba Indigenous Protected Area (GIPA) • Southeast Queensland • Australia
In the subtropical forests of the Guanaba Indigenous Protected Area (GIPA) in Southeast Queensland, a new collaboration is bringing together Indigenous ecological knowledge, bioacoustic technology, and student researchers to monitor a long-silent species: the endangered Fleay’s Barred Frog (Mixophyes fleayi). Co-designed by Kombumerri Rangers and Wildlife Science students from the University of Queensland, this project aims to re-establish long-term monitoring of a culturally and ecologically significant species, using non-invasive acoustic recorders.
Fleay’s Barred Frog hasn’t been recorded in GIPA for over 20 years. Traditional Western survey methods have proven time-intensive and ineffective, but bioacoustics offers a promising solution. Four Song Meter Mini 2 acoustic recorders will be strategically placed in breeding habitats along Guanaba Creek, guided by Traditional Owners’ knowledge and ecological criteria. Data will be analyzed using Kaleidoscope Pro, helping assess frog presence, activity, and habitat use.
This project addresses the urgent need for Indigenous-led conservation by embedding cultural protocols, respecting data sovereignty, and providing hands-on learning for students. Results will guide habitat restoration, inform future conservation strategies, and strengthen Indigenous leadership in environmental stewardship. Even if the target species isn’t detected, the project will enhance understanding of frog communities across GIPA.
Ultimately, this initiative highlights how co-designed, community-led bioacoustic monitoring can revitalize species protection while honoring Indigenous rights and knowledge—offering a replicable model for culturally responsive conservation across Australia and beyond.
Research Bio
Dr. Coen Hird is a Trawlwoolway Pakana from northeast Lutruwita, Tasmania, and an associate lecturer at the University of Queensland. Coen researches and teaches at the intersection of Western and Indigenous sciences, focusing on Indigenous epistemologies, ecological physiology, and conservation biology. His research emphasizes Indigenous priorities in scientific research, highlighting ethical engagement and Indigenous data sovereignty. Coen teaches in the Wildlife Technologies course at the University of Queensland, training third-year Wildlife Science students in bioacoustic monitoring and culturally grounded conservation practices. His co-designed projects with Indigenous Rangers aim to achieve tangible conservation outcomes while respecting Indigenous leadership and sovereignty.
Awarded: 4 Song Meter Mini 2 (Li-ion); 4 acoustic stub mics; 16 battery pairs; 2 Kaleidoscope Pro licenses
Jason Philip Mellos, BS Biology
Science Teacher
Booker T. Washington High School • Marine Science Academy
Pensacola, Florida • United States
Project Location & Description
Coastal Forests • Northern Gulf Coast • Florida • United States
Along the northern Gulf Coast near Pensacola, Florida, coastal forests like pine savannas, oak hammocks, and marshes are home to a rich diversity of wildlife—but for bats, we know surprisingly little. This project aims to change that by using bioacoustic monitoring to identify which bat species use these unique and vulnerable ecosystems.
With support from local partners, the project will deploy Song Meter Mini Bat 2 recorders at sites across the region from July to August. These devices will run nightly, passively recording echolocation calls. Using Kaleidoscope Pro software, researchers and student scientists will analyze the data to identify species and understand habitat use.
In a unique twist, students from Washington High School’s Marine Science Academy and Club will help with fieldwork, gaining hands-on experience in conservation research. Their contributions will not only support species identification but also highlight the importance of coastal habitats and inspire the next generation of conservationists.
Findings will be shared with partners, including Florida State Parks, Sea Grant, and NABat, to inform conservation strategies and land management decisions. As climate change and development continue to threaten coastal areas, this project delivers critical baseline data on bat populations while engaging the community in protecting these often-overlooked species.
Research Bio
Jason Mellos is a science teacher at Booker T. Washington High School Marine Science Academy in Pensacola, Florida. He has a background in field research, initially working in bioacoustics, where he served as the lead on a bat monitoring project. His focus has shifted to water-quality monitoring and fish-capture methods to study local aquatic ecosystems. Jason enjoys giving students hands-on experiences in the field—whether that’s collecting water samples, using scientific equipment, or identifying fish species. His ultimate goal is to help students connect with science and develop research skills through real-world projects.
Awarded: 3 Song Meter Mini Bat 2 (AA); 1 ultrasonic calibrator; 1 Kaleidoscope Pro license
Krystal Athanassiou, BA
Field Supervisor • Ontario Streams
Toronto, Ontario • Canada
Project Location & Description
York Region • Ontario • Canada
As urbanization and climate change threaten Southern Ontario’s wetlands, monitoring amphibian populations is more critical than ever. In partnership with York Region, environmental charity Ontario Streams will use acoustic monitoring to support long-term conservation in these sensitive habitats.
Project Lead Krystal Athanassiou typically conducts frog call surveys during the spring mating season. But safety concerns—such as denning Black Bears—have limited access to some sites. With grant support, her team will deploy two Song Meter Micro 2 acoustic recorders to safely and non-invasively capture frog calls, even in high-risk areas.
Using Kaleidoscope Pro software, they will analyze species presence and call intensity, focusing on vulnerable species like the Northern Leopard Frog and Western Chorus Frog. The data will inform York Region’s habitat management strategies and trail planning.
Notably, Ontario Streams will use frog call samples in public education efforts, including webinars and outreach materials. Krystal’s project highlights how bioacoustics can enhance wildlife research, public engagement, and on-the-ground conservation efforts.
Research Bio
Krystal Athanassiou earned her Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies from Brock University in Ontario, Canada. Currently, she works as a field supervisor with Ontario Streams, supporting the development and implementation of amphibian monitoring projects, ecosystem restoration initiatives, and community stewardship programs. Krystal believes in using technology for data collection to help protect sensitive wetland ecosystems and ensure the safety and well-being of her colleagues. Her next project will incorporate audio recordings of amphibian calls into educational resources that are accessible to the public, engaging people with Ontario's amphibian species and providing information on how to protect vulnerable wetland ecosystems.
Awarded: 2 Song Meter Micro 2; 1 Kaleidoscope Pro license
Alexander Dibnah, BSc, MSc
PhD Candidate • Center for Ecosystem Science
School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences
University of New South Wales
Sydney • Australia
Project Location & Description
Myall Lakes National Park • New South Wales • Australia
Researcher Alexander Dibnah's project investigates the social function of howling in wild dingoes (Canis dingo)—Australia’s apex predator—using passive bioacoustic monitoring in Myall Lakes National Park, NSW. While canid howls are known to play vital roles in territory defense and social cohesion, most studies have focused on captive animals or species like wolves. Little is known about the timing, location, and purpose of howling in wild dingoes.
Over two years, passive acoustic recorders will monitor howling across six known dingo packs, comparing acoustic activity between core and peripheral territories, and across breeding, denning, and pup-rearing seasons. Acoustic indices and manual analysis will help assess how howling patterns relate to social and ecological contexts.
Findings will fill a major gap in canid behavioral ecology and support the development of howl-based, non-lethal deterrents for managing human-dingo conflict. By mimicking natural howl patterns, these tools may reduce the need for lethal control and help conserve dingoes’ ecological role in regulating prey and mesopredator populations. This project combines behavioral ecology with applied conservation, offering scalable, evidence-based solutions for coexistence.
Researcher Bio
Alexander James Dibnah is a PhD student at UNSW Sydney, specializing in animal behavior, communication, and large carnivore conservation. He completed an MSc by Research at the University of Exeter in 2021, where he discovered a “vocalized voting system” in wild jackdaws. From 2022 to 2023, he worked with Botswana Predator Conservation, studying African wild dogs and other large carnivores. In 2024, he began his PhD with support from a University International Postgraduate Award, focusing on dingo communication and non-lethal conflict management. Alex aims to advance understanding of vocal behavior in carnivores to support conservation strategies globally.
Awarded: 8 Song Meter Mini 2 (AA)
Dr. Nikhil Modak
Associate Professor in Research
Henryk Hoyer Department of Comparative Anatomy
Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research
Jagiellonian University
Kraków • Poland
Project Location & Description
Oświęcim Basin • Vistula River Valley • Poland
Dr. Modak's project investigates the shifting dynamics of Pelophylax frog communities in the fish ponds near Kraków, Poland—specifically focusing on P. ridibundus, P. lessonae, and their hybrid P. esculentus. Traditional monitoring methods in the region have been inconsistent and invasive, leaving major gaps in our understanding of how these species interact, particularly during the breeding season. By deploying Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) across nine sites, this study will non-invasively capture daily and seasonal acoustic patterns, allowing researchers to identify species-specific calls and track community changes over time. This is especially important as P. ridibundus appears to be expanding and potentially displacing the other two species, likely due to habitat changes and regional warming.
Acoustic data will replace labor-intensive surveys and reduce reliance on costly molecular identification, while also enabling long-term, weather-independent monitoring. Findings will provide insight into species dominance, acoustic niche overlap, and hybridization dynamics. Importantly, this is the first study in Poland to use PAM for frog communities and could serve as a model for nationwide monitoring efforts.
Beyond academic value, the results will inform habitat conservation strategies and climate adaptation policies, especially for P. lessonae, whose habitat preferences make it vulnerable to warming and land-use change. This work also offers valuable training opportunities in acoustic monitoring and data analysis for students and researchers alike.
Researcher Bio
Dr. Nikhil Modak is a Postdoctoral Fellow at Jagiellonian University specializing in amphibian systematics, evolutionary biology, community ecology, and acoustic communication. He has extensive field experience in the Western Ghats of India, focusing on anuran biodiversity using camera traps and passive acoustic monitoring. His work combines machine learning, and he is experienced in R programming language, QGIS (for mapping and geospatial analysis), Raven (for analyzing acoustic data), and MAXENT (for species distribution modeling). A member of the IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group, he has contributed to Red List assessments of Indian amphibians. Currently, he also conducts physiological experiments on anuran tadpoles and supports high-throughput genome analysis.
Awarded: 20 Song Meter Micro 2; 2 Kaleidoscope Pro Licenses
Dr. Mohammed Kasso Geda
Associate Professor of Zoology
Biology Department
College of Natural and Computational Sciences
Hawassa University
Sidama National Regional State • Ethiopia
Project Location & Description
Northern Sidama Zone • Sidama • Ethiopia
Dr. Kasso's project explores the ecological role of bats in the Northern Sidama Zone of southern Ethiopia, a region where agroforestry supports local livelihoods and biodiversity. Bats are vital to these ecosystems, providing pest control, pollination, and seed dispersal services—yet they remain underappreciated and understudied.
Using a combination of passive acoustic monitoring, real-time detection, and mist-netting, Dr. Kasso's team will assess bat activity, diversity, and their relationships with pest populations across different agricultural settings. This data will help identify species most beneficial to farming systems and inform the development of bat-friendly agroforestry practices. The project will also engage local farmers through education and outreach, helping shift perceptions about bats and highlighting their value to agriculture. Community workshops, educational materials, and collaborative discussions will foster stewardship and support for bat conservation.
Findings will inform management strategies, guide sustainable farming practices, and contribute to regional conservation policies. By combining acoustic monitoring with community-based conservation, this project fills a crucial data gap, builds local capacity, and promotes coexistence between bats and people, standing to benefit both biodiversity and agricultural sustainability in the region.
Researcher Bio
Dr. Mohammed Kasso Geda is an Associate Professor of Ecology and Systematic Zoology at Hawassa University, Ethiopia. He specializes in the diversity, conservation, and ecology of small mammals—particularly rodents, shrews, and bats—with over 35 published research articles. His work has enhanced understanding of Ethiopia’s small mammal fauna and informed wildlife habitat protection. Dr. Kasso also studies pest impacts on horticultural crops and post-harvest losses. He actively collaborates with national and international partners and mentors students and early-career researchers. His expertise in highland small mammal ecology positions him to lead impactful bat research with support from Wildlife Acoustics.
Awarded: 2 Song Meter Mini Bat 2 (AA); 2 Song Meter Mini Bat 2 (Li-ion); 2 Mini Bat 2 Accessories; 1 Echo Meter Touch 2; 1 Kaleidoscope Pro License
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