Innovative NZ conservation tech startup, Envico Technologies, has been announced as the Gold winner in the Asia-Pacific Stevie® Awards Project of the Year in the Area of Nature & Biological Diversity.
The award spotlights the use of drone technology in the highly successful Wallis Islets Rat Eradication project. Envico was selected by Island Conservation (a highly regarded international organization focused on preventing extinctions) as the technology partner for the project, bringing scale and efficacy with their industry leading aerial drone baiting technologies and expertise.
The project achieved the successful eradication of rats from numerous islets, enabling birdlife and marine species to return and begin rebuilding. ( Short form case study available here )
The Stevie awards are recognized as one of the world's premier business awards programs recognizing innovation in all its forms. More than 1,000 nominations across the categories were received this year. Three levels of awards are provided: Gold (the highest award per category), Silver and Bronze and other winners in 2024 include global brand giants such as IBM, L’Oréal, HP and DHL.
“This was our first time entering an international awards program and to be recognised at the highest level like this, is very humbling. Our team is deeply committed to our mission of enabling greater outcomes for conservation and supporting environments and communities to thrive. It’s extremely rewarding to see their dedication acknowledged in this way,” says Cameron Baker, CEO & Co-founder of Envico Technologies.
There is growing belief that biodiversity is in crisis and that eco-systems that provide the air we breathe, and the food we eat, are being lost. In NZ alone, 94% of indigenous reptile species and 82% of bird species risk extinction.
Envico are making an impact with their holistic solutioning. Unlike most other companies in the conservation and pest eradication space who offer a solution to just one part of the biodiversity puzzle, Envico is delivering a system-inspired range of solutions and this was identified by the judging panel.
For large scale knock downs and eradications such as the Wallis islets project, where an invasive pest such as rats have overtaken an area, Envico provides industry leading aerial drone baiting solutions where unmanned drones deliver targeted baits using highly effective dispersal technologies.
Incursion risk, the re-entry of pests once knock-down has occurred – is a serious problem faced by those managing large scale land holdings. Often, after the investment in knock-down strategies, a pest species will use their cunning skills to re-enter the area, rapidly re-populate (a rat population can expand from two to 1,000 in a single year) and begin their next takeover. With invasive pests being the number one predator of native wildlife and fauna, it’s critical that incursion risk is managed carefully.
To address this problem, Envico developed land-based smart traps with high efficacy as the priority, to defend against pest incursion. With automated resets, long-life lure systems and sensor technology to prevent non-target species from being affected, Envico’s new generation smart traps are a much-needed addition to the market.
Bringing the land back to life once invasive predators have been managed, is often reliant on hugely labour-intensive re-planting projects. There are simply not enough human and financial resources to support re-planting at pace. Having identified this issue, Envico developed their innovative seed pod technologies, which combine unique seed pod innovation with the power of Envico’s drone technologies, to turbo-charge regeneration efforts.
“Industry is embracing the innovation we are bringing and it’s an exciting space to be in. We have the privilege of working with amazing partners, in both the conservation and land management sectors and being able to amplify their efforts so they can achieve more, is what drives us each day,” adds Baker.
Envico will be exhibiting at Fieldays in June, the Southern Hemisphere’s largest agricultural event. To arrange a consultation or media meet, connect with Envico at this link.
About Envico Technologies:
Envico Technologies create industry-leading drone and land-based technologies which amplify the efforts of the global conservation and reforestation sectors, leading to stronger efficacy, greater ROI and program scalability.
With kaitiakitanga as their anchor (the concept of guardianship of the sky, the sea, and the land), they are enabling biodiversity, eco-systems and communities to thrive, and support business and government to do more good for their environment and their people.
About Island Conservation:
Island Conservation is a science driven non-profit organization on a mission to prevent extinctions by removing invasive species from islands. They have successfully restored more than 65 islands worldwide, benefiting 1218 populations of 504 species and subspecies.
Working together with local communities, government management agencies, and conservation organizations, they select islands that have the greatest potential for preventing the extinction of globally threatened species and bring together expert project teams to deliver solutions.