{"type": "project", "title": "GainForest", "logoImg": "bafkreia72x47tcqatptgvdu4hxrklzp6qxecmusubsfcfnufxyavwvqt5i", "website": "https://gainforest.earth", "createdAt": 1713301898557, "credentials": {"twitter": {"type": ["VerifiableCredential"], "proof": {"jws": "eyJhbGciOiJFZERTQSIsImNyaXQiOlsiYjY0Il0sImI2NCI6ZmFsc2V9..sr6q4l5_GPOLhrEQnyQJVCKLCtSZuUeaAYpQLbsnj_Ua4VaTAbtzM7sT5SMgYwUJu85lS35IDtAKnLFtaiFcBw", "type": "Ed25519Signature2018", "created": "2024-04-16T21:11:24.002Z", "proofPurpose": "assertionMethod", "verificationMethod": "did:key:z6MkghvGHLobLEdj1bgRLhS4LPGJAvbMA1tn2zcRyqmYU5LC#z6MkghvGHLobLEdj1bgRLhS4LPGJAvbMA1tn2zcRyqmYU5LC"}, "issuer": "did:key:z6MkghvGHLobLEdj1bgRLhS4LPGJAvbMA1tn2zcRyqmYU5LC", "@context": ["https://www.w3.org/2018/credentials/v1"], "issuanceDate": "2024-04-16T21:11:24.002Z", "expirationDate": "2024-07-15T21:11:24.002Z", "credentialSubject": {"id": "did:pkh:eip155:1:0x1E75F4Ee9732047f0C6BB47a1b8dad8CFD1E8Eed", "hash": "v0.0.0:Qp/1VRw5O3CmmlNgfSnd9bOUybAlfTym8kYezeotguI=", "@context": [{"hash": "https://schema.org/Text", "provider": "https://schema.org/Text"}], "provider": "ClearTextTwitter#GainForestNow"}}}, "description": "\n**CCN Climate Solutions Categories:** Oracles & dMRV, Nature-Based Solutions\n\nGainForest is a **global non-profit** [and **one of six finalists**](https://www.xprize.org/prizes/rainforest/finalist-teams#:~:text=XPRIZE%20Rainforest's%20independent%20judging%20panel,of%20the%20XPRIZE%20Rainforest%20competition) **of the XPRIZE RainForest competition**. with the mission to halt and **reverse global deforestation by 2030**. Learn more at [links.gainforest.earth](https://links.gainforest.earth/).\n\nThe GainForest platform brings transparency to conservation and restoration projects. On the financial side, the flow of funds towards a conservation project are transparently displayed on our [platform](www.maps.gainforest.app). On the conservation and restoration side, local communities use a variety of **dMRV (Decentralized Monitoring, Reporting and Verification) and DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network)** techniques to show \"Proof of Care\", or proof that the funds are used towards sustainable stewardship. This brings local employment to the communities, and allows us to gather vast amounts of machine learning-ready forest data. In previous trial runs, we compensated individuals 50 cents for every tree measured, 1 cent of every audio minute recorded, and 5 cents for every MB of drone data, with a daily income cap of 10 USD per community member. Pricing is dynamically decided by our Indigenous and Local Data Councils, that GainForest helps to set up.\n\nAt GainForest, we are convinced that data payments are the key to creating a reliable income source for local communities. Data regarding biodiversity in the Global South is scarce. Many species of plants and animals in these regions remain undiscovered and undocumented. **A conservation-focused data collection initiative would create a global data commons**, propelling **the advancement of AI and biodiversity research in these areas**. There's an immediate need and a broad consensus to compensate local data collectors for their contributions.\n\nOur objective is to scale these efforts, providing additionally low-cost conservation drones on loan, audiomoth sensors and eDNA collection kits, and compensate local communities 5-10 USD daily.\n\nCurrently, our platform welcomes a network of **25** (and counting!) conservation organizations around the world.\n\n## What have we shipped?\n\n1. Local **community-based MRV** together with a **data upload platform ecosystem**that allows users to upload environmental data. One may input date through a variety of methods, ranging from traditional forms (as in our **Tree App**, which allows users to upload measurements and photos of trees), through natural language (as with our **telegram chatbot, Taina**), as well as audio recordings (through audiomoths), photos and videos (such as through camera traps), and drone data.\n2. **Citizen science ecopayments.** While local forest stewards assist with the collection of invaluable data from the forest, Citizen Scientists then look at the data and identify plant species from photos, and animals from sound recordings. This labeled data will directly feed into the development of new AI models that will propel our understanding, and hence the conservation of rainforests around the world, to new levels. [Read more [here](https://gainforest.substack.com/p/citizen-science-for-biodiversity)] \n3. A global community of **28** projects and counting in the **Green Globe**, in various stages of their \"Measure-to-Earn\" journey.\n4. Over **$20,000 in payments** given to the communities for data collection.\n\n\n## **Progress since GG19**\n\n### 1. Taina - An Indigenous AI Data Assistant\n\n- **Lesson Learnt**: **Data collection needs to be inclusive**. In October 2023, we travelled to the Xingu River in Brazil, and taught the Indigenous Kayapo people the use of our data gathering methods. From this experience, we've learnt that traditional data collection methods\u2014such as filling out forms or how we labeled species groups (\u201cplants\u201d and \u201canimals\u201d) \u2014 were inadequate and not the best options for indigenous groups, like the Kayapo, as it does not take into consideration their way of living and how they perceive things. We\u2019ve also learned that oral history is their primary transfer of community knowledge.\n- **Solution:** We've developed \"Taina,\" an AI-assistant Telegram bot which allows communities to talk using natural language to the bot to input data, collecting and preserving indigenous knowledge. Currently, Taina is available in three languages: English, Spanish and Portuguese. It leverages a customizable LLM backend, and all data is stored locally in the stewardship of the communities.\n- Taina is currently deployed with local riverside and Indigenous communities in Rio Negro, Brazil - including the Satare-Mawe, Tikuna, Muru and Munduruku People. Watch our [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we0wY22Yk34) on Taina, or read more in our [blog](https://gainforest.substack.com/p/meettaina-gainforests-new-ai-bot?triedRedirect=true).\n\n\n### **2. Participatory Citizen Science**\n\n- Together with ETH Zurich AI Center, we've hosted monthly conferences in Zurich, Switzerland, bringing together over 100+ attendees each time: summit.biodivx.org\n- We are hosting the largest Environment + AI Hackathon together with IBM to work on open science and environmental insights: hack.biodivx.org\n- We host online monthly events to gradually introduce our new technologies (such as Taina), to communities, citizen scientists, and biodiversity enthusiasts around the world.\n\n### 3. 5 new communities onboarded\n\n- We are consistently updating and co-designing with our communities. In the past three months, we have deployed eDNA sampling in the Masungi Georeserve, eco-acoustic AudioMoths in Kenya and Rwanda, and collected data in Brazil.\n\n### **4. The Green Globe is (finally) mobile-friendly!**\n\n- We are consistently updating our green globe platform, allowing it to be faster, and display more visual information. \n\n\n## **What's Next?**\n\n1. **More financial and environmental visualizations**. Including but not limited to:\n- including audio data into our observed biodiversity tab,\n- automatic visual and audio recognition of observed animals through data collected in-field (camera traps, sound recordings)\n- Live dashboard showing financial metrics such as the total number of funds received by each project, and more.\n\n2. **Hypercerts Integration**. Rewarding and tracking sustainability work efforts. Retroactive issuance of work done in the past. This links payments together wi\n3. **R&D, and Preparation for the XPRIZE RainForest Finals.** Scheduled for July 2024 in Brazil. Scaling up and improving the user experience, accessibility of our RainForest data collection and insights generation. Co-creation with an indigeneous community in Brazil. Technology developed for the XPRIZE will be directly applicable to our work towards giving communities the tools to do their own decentralized MRV.\n4. **Actively Expanding our Network of Experts and Citizen Scientists.** Continual hosting of programs, meetups, and workshops to expand our data commons.\n5. **Biodiversity Marketplace.** A space that connects data purchasers with community-produced data.\n6. **Document, and share knowldege.** All of our learnings from in-the field are available in our [blog](https://gainforest.substack.com/).\n\n# **Additional Information:**\n\nRead our Whitepaper - available [here](www.docs.gainforest.earth).\nRead our [2022/2023 Impact report](https://www.canva.com/design/DAFpX8wy7LI/TjwaWTnL4x53l6rTd5oyxQ/view#17).\n\n*The 2023/2024 Impact report will be available on July 2024.*", "logoImgData": {}, "projectGithub": "gainforest", "projectTwitter": "gainforestnow"}
GainForest

**CCN Climate Solutions Categories:** Oracles & dMRV, Nature-Based Solutions

GainForest is a **global non-profit** [and **one of six finalists**](https://www.xprize.org/prizes/rainforest/finalist-teams#:~:text=XPRIZE%20Rainforest's%20independent%20judging%20panel,of%20the%20XPRIZE%20Rainforest%20competition) **of the XPRIZE RainForest competition**. with the mission to halt and **reverse global deforestation by 2030**. Learn more at [links.gainforest.earth](https://links.gainforest.earth/).

The GainForest platform brings transparency to conservation and restoration projects. On the financial side, the flow of funds towards a conservation project are transparently displayed on our [platform](www.maps.gainforest.app). On the conservation and restoration side, local communities use a variety of **dMRV (Decentralized Monitoring, Reporting and Verification) and DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network)** techniques to show "Proof of Care", or proof that the funds are used towards sustainable stewardship. This brings local employment to the communities, and allows us to gather vast amounts of machine learning-ready forest data. In previous trial runs, we compensated individuals 50 cents for every tree measured, 1 cent of every audio minute recorded, and 5 cents for every MB of drone data, with a daily income cap of 10 USD per community member. Pricing is dynamically decided by our Indigenous and Local Data Councils, that GainForest helps to set up.

At GainForest, we are convinced that data payments are the key to creating a reliable income source for local communities. Data regarding biodiversity in the Global South is scarce. Many species of plants and animals in these regions remain undiscovered and undocumented. **A conservation-focused data collection initiative would create a global data commons**, propelling **the advancement of AI and biodiversity research in these areas**. There's an immediate need and a broad consensus to compensate local data collectors for their contributions.

Our objective is to scale these efforts, providing additionally low-cost conservation drones on loan, audiomoth sensors and eDNA collection kits, and compensate local communities 5-10 USD daily.

Currently, our platform welcomes a network of **25** (and counting!) conservation organizations around the world.

## What have we shipped?

1. Local **community-based MRV** together with a **data upload platform ecosystem**that allows users to upload environmental data. One may input date through a variety of methods, ranging from traditional forms (as in our **Tree App**, which allows users to upload measurements and photos of trees), through natural language (as with our **telegram chatbot, Taina**), as well as audio recordings (through audiomoths), photos and videos (such as through camera traps), and drone data.
2. **Citizen science ecopayments.** While local forest stewards assist with the collection of invaluable data from the forest, Citizen Scientists then look at the data and identify plant species from photos, and animals from sound recordings. This labeled data will directly feed into the development of new AI models that will propel our understanding, and hence the conservation of rainforests around the world, to new levels. [Read more [here](https://gainforest.substack.com/p/citizen-science-for-biodiversity)] 
3. A global community of **28** projects and counting in the **Green Globe**, in various stages of their "Measure-to-Earn" journey.
4. Over **$20,000 in payments** given to the communities for data collection.


## **Progress since GG19**

### 1. Taina - An Indigenous AI Data Assistant

- **Lesson Learnt**: **Data collection needs to be inclusive**. In October 2023, we travelled to the Xingu River in Brazil, and taught the Indigenous Kayapo people the use of our data gathering methods. From this experience, we've learnt that traditional data collection methods—such as filling out forms or how we labeled species groups (“plants” and “animals”) — were inadequate and not the best options for indigenous groups, like the Kayapo, as it does not take into consideration their way of living and how they perceive things. We’ve also learned that oral history is their primary transfer of community knowledge.
- **Solution:** We've developed "Taina," an AI-assistant Telegram bot which allows communities to talk using natural language to the bot to input data, collecting and preserving indigenous knowledge. Currently, Taina is available in three languages: English, Spanish and Portuguese. It leverages a customizable LLM backend, and all data is stored locally in the stewardship of the communities.
- Taina is currently deployed with local riverside and Indigenous communities in Rio Negro, Brazil - including the Satare-Mawe, Tikuna, Muru and Munduruku People. Watch our [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we0wY22Yk34) on Taina, or read more in our [blog](https://gainforest.substack.com/p/meettaina-gainforests-new-ai-bot?triedRedirect=true).


### **2. Participatory Citizen Science**

- Together with ETH Zurich AI Center, we've hosted monthly conferences in Zurich, Switzerland, bringing together over 100+ attendees each time: summit.biodivx.org
- We are hosting the largest Environment + AI Hackathon together with IBM to work on open science and environmental insights: hack.biodivx.org
- We host online monthly events to gradually introduce our new technologies (such as Taina), to communities, citizen scientists, and biodiversity enthusiasts around the world.

### 3. 5 new communities onboarded

- We are consistently updating and co-designing with our communities. In the past three months, we have deployed eDNA sampling in the Masungi Georeserve, eco-acoustic AudioMoths in Kenya and Rwanda, and collected data in Brazil.

### **4. The Green Globe is (finally) mobile-friendly!**

- We are consistently updating our green globe platform, allowing it to be faster, and display more visual information. 


## **What's Next?**

1. **More financial and environmental visualizations**. Including but not limited to:
- including audio data into our observed biodiversity tab,
- automatic visual and audio recognition of observed animals through data collected in-field (camera traps, sound recordings)
- Live dashboard showing financial metrics such as the total number of funds received by each project, and more.

2. **Hypercerts Integration**. Rewarding and tracking sustainability work efforts. Retroactive issuance of work done in the past. This links payments together wi
3. **R&D, and Preparation for the XPRIZE RainForest Finals.** Scheduled for July 2024 in Brazil. Scaling up and improving the user experience, accessibility of our RainForest data collection and insights generation. Co-creation with an indigeneous community in Brazil. Technology developed for the XPRIZE will be directly applicable to our work towards giving communities the tools to do their own decentralized MRV.
4. **Actively Expanding our Network of Experts and Citizen Scientists.** Continual hosting of programs, meetups, and workshops to expand our data commons.
5. **Biodiversity Marketplace.** A space that connects data purchasers with community-produced data.
6. **Document, and share knowldege.** All of our learnings from in-the field are available in our [blog](https://gainforest.substack.com/).

# **Additional Information:**

Read our Whitepaper - available [here](www.docs.gainforest.earth).
Read our [2022/2023 Impact report](https://www.canva.com/design/DAFpX8wy7LI/TjwaWTnL4x53l6rTd5oyxQ/view#17).

*The 2023/2024 Impact report will be available on July 2024.*
GainForest