A Letter from the CXL Founders
Uniting Innovation, Validation, and Collective Action
“As 2025 unfolds, the urgency and opportunity for innovation in conservation have never been clearer. Around the world, fires rage, biodiversity declines, and ecosystems face mounting threats. And yet, everywhere we look, bold ideas and technologies are emerging that could redefine what is possible—for nature and for humanity. At Conservation X Labs, we believe that new tools, new collaborations, and new ways of working together are essential. The reality is that too many promising technologies remain stuck in pilot stages. Scaling conservation innovation—getting game-changing solutions into the hands of every ranger, every community, everywhere—demands a different approach: one that unites invention, validation, and collective action…”
Wild Me Drives IUCN Red List Status Change for Seadragons
“The Wild Me Lab is a member of the SeadragonSearch multi-institution research team, which uses Wildbook to track individual seadragons and estimate their population dynamics. SeadragonSearch members using Wildbook recently published a revised Red List Assessment resulting in a change of status to ‘Vulnerable.'”
The Fire Grand Challenge: Western North America Names Twelve Finalists
“Conservation X Labs has announced twelve finalist teams in the Fire Grand Challenge, selected from over 140 global applicants for their bold, scalable solutions to wildfire. Finalists each receive $50,000 and will enter a nine-month program to accelerate, test, and scale their innovations in partnership with local communities across North America. From robotic insulation systems to AI-powered reforestation and Indigenous-led fire stewardship, these teams are tackling the wildfire crisis with cutting-edge technology and deep local knowledge. Final awards of $200,000 will be announced in early 2026…”
NABIT Chinook Salmon Kit Begins Field Testing Run
“In April, the NABIT team went into the field weekly to evaluate the Chinook salmon eDNA test kit, visiting streams, rivers, and hatcheries across Washington State—each home to Chinook populations—to put the test through real-world conditions…”
Sentinel Powers Real-Time Invasive Species Detection in NZ
“New Zealand’s offshore islands are vital havens for biodiversity—but invasive mammals like rats continue to pose a serious threat. Now, rangers are using Conservation X Labs’ Sentinel system to detect incursions in near real-time…”
CXL to Host Wildlife Trafficking Enforcement App: Fin Finder
“The Wild Me Lab is the new home of the Fin Finder mobile app…”
Recent CXL Research
Research using Wild Me’s Wildbook data:
Identifying a high-use hawksbill turtle habitat in the central Saudi Arabian Red Sea using photo-ID.
Pairwise Matching of Intermediate Representations for Fine-grained Explainability.
