How are forests becoming digital environments? The Smart Forests project investigates the social-political impacts of digital technologies that monitor and govern forest environments. Funded by the European Research Council, and based in the Department of Sociology at the University of Cambridge.
Is conservation surveillance a means for state repression? Trishant Simlai considers this topic in his plenary presentation to an international audience at Drone Ecologies at the Cabot Institute for the Environment (July 5-6, 2021). The event addresses questions about environmental justice, the rights of rural communities and surveillance from the proliferation of monitoring technologies.
As part of this investigation into technical-natural milieus, Jennifer Gabrys will present work on the sensory infrastructures of smart forests. The event is hosted by the University of Oslo and Kunstnernes Hus in Norway on 24 June 2021.
In this conversation on data, AI and the environment, Jennifer Gabrys will discuss how Smart Forests contribute to the challenges of digital technologies that would manage environmental crises, while also contributing to them. The event is hosted by the Ada Lovelace Institute and the JUST AI network on 22 June. (Image from wayra)
On 26 April 2021, Smart Forests researcher Michelle Westerlaken will participate in The Animal Turn podcast to talk about her research on multispecies design. We will share the recording as soon as it’s out.
The Smart Forests research group is taking part in the Digital Ecologies workshop at the University of Cambridge from 29 to 30 March 2021. We will discuss monstrosity and digital games, ecoacoustics and conservation, surveillance technology and forest labour, and the Internet of Trees.
We are delighted to announce the appointment of new Smart Forests research associates Danilo Urzedo, Michelle Westerlaken, and Max Ritts, as well as research assistant Trishant Simlai. Learn more about their research areas on our People page.
The Smart Forests project is hiring 3 Postdoctoral Research Associates. The positions are each 3.5 years in duration. Researchers will be based in the Department of Sociology at the University of Cambridge. Applications were due 11 October 2020. We will announce news of our expanding research group soon.
Jennifer Gabrys gives a keynote presentation on planetary sensing, smart forests, and becoming planetary as part of the ISEA 2020 26th International Symposium on ‘Sentience.’
This Big Data & Society commentary published in February 2020 provides a conceptual overview of the Smart Forests project.