Peace Parks Foundation: Protecting Wildlife and Ecosystems with Microsoft Azure

Peace Parks Foundation: Protecting Wildlife and Ecosystems with Microsoft Azure

Peace Parks Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving protected areas, animal ecosystems, and the environment, is using technology to overcome unique challenges and achieve vital conservation goals. Based in southern Africa, the foundation manages over 68 million hectares of land, supporting the protection and restoration of diverse ecosystems. To streamline its operations and improve conservation efforts, the organization has modernized its technology infrastructure with Microsoft Azure.

Overcoming Connectivity Challenges in Remote Environments

Peace Parks Foundation faced significant technological hurdles due to the remote locations of its conservation areas. Field staff often operate in areas without 3G connectivity, requiring them to build infrastructure, bring in power, and rely on satellite technology. This environment added complexity, but the move to Microsoft Azure has addressed many connectivity issues.

Wayne Brider, ICT Manager at Peace Parks Foundation, explained that equipment must be built to withstand the elements. “If somebody says they need to deploy something, we have to ask if it can withstand being stepped on by an elephant,” he said.

With systems now hosted in the cloud, systems are more accessible and less vulnerable to unpredictable conditions in the field where technology is exposed to diverse challenges. This has enabled the staff to focus on conservation efforts more effectively.

Streamlining Planning and Operations with Azure

Peace Parks Foundation leverages Azure to streamline both its planning and preparation work within its headquarters and to make conservation efforts more effective and efficient. This includes managing massive datasets and improving financial reporting.

The foundation uses Power BI for environmental monitoring and expects AI to help deploy resources effectively. The more detailed and relevant information has improved financial tracking and reporting to vendors.

Bronwen Struwig, Financial Controller at Peace Parks Foundation, highlighted the positive effects that this implementation had on finance. “We’re capturing invoices from our suppliers a lot quicker, and field workers can report back on finances much faster because we’ve given them user-friendly tools with drop-down lists,” she said.

Ilze van der Merwe, Business Analyst at Peace Parks Foundation, has observed positive changes in the field, commenting: “[Azure] give[s] managers and field staff access to real-time information that helps them better plan and report in certain situations. This includes daily updated budgets to allow for better financial planning and pinpoint where financial transactions are in the system, which also allows for better reporting to vendors and consistent on-time deliveries.”

A Philosophy of Nature Without Borders

Peace Parks Foundation’s work is guided by a “nature without borders” philosophy. This means conserving large transboundary landscapes and fostering healthy, balanced ecosystems. Their efforts have included relocating over 18,000 animals and supporting the reestablishment of national parks.

“Working for Peace Parks presents the opportunity to do something on a legacy scale that’s going to be remembered,” says Brider.

Embracing Innovation and a Cloud-First Approach

Peace Parks Foundation has exceeded its original goals by adopting a cloud-first approach for future deployments. The organization seeks technology partners that can provide scalable solutions that can sustain their long-term projects. Microsoft has been essential to the foundation’s success, which aligns with the values that Peace Parks Foundation holds.

Brider emphasized the impact of Microsoft Azure: “Our original plan looked nothing like everything we have now. We unlocked this Azure toolkit, and now we’re seeing all that we can do.” He added, “The true test of our success is that we’re continually evolving and enhancing things, which shows that the business understands our solutions and uses them, not as IT products but as business tools.”