GISCorps Volunteer boosts conservation workflows at Babanango Game Reserve

Background

The Protected Area Management (PAM) initiative is a partnership between the National Geographic Society, Esri, and GISCorps. The initiative seeks to facilitate and support the effective use of Esri’s ArcGIS Solutions for Conservation, which has been made available at no cost to the protected areas throughout Africa through a partnership between Esri and the National Geographic Society. ArcGIS Solutions for Conservation provides protected area managers with a secure suite of configurable technology for better managing and protecting parks and sensitive conservation areas.

Babanango Game Reserve (BGR) is a relatively new big-five game reserve in KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa. The organization has been identified as a leader in ecological conservation/restoration for the region, converting a once predominantly cattle-grazed landscape into a successful experiment in rewilding and ecotourism, reintroducing key species into the reserve to restore ecological function.

From May through September 2025, GISCorps volunteer, Joe Lemeris, partnered with BGR in South Africa to enhance the reserve’s GIS workflows for reserve staff. The engagement included remote collaboration for several months and an 8-day on-site visit, focusing on modernizing GIS applications, improving data management, and streamlining operational workflows for wildlife monitoring, vehicle maintenance, and staff coordination.

Needs/Goals

BGR has used ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Pro since 2019, implementing Esri’s Protected Area Management Solution to support conservation and operations. Over time, staff turnover as well as evolving technology and business needs created gaps in workflow continuity and data management. BGR sought GISCorps’ assistance to update critical applications, train key staff, and establish best practices for sustainable GIS operations in the future.

The Work

Migration to Experience Builder: With the deprecation of ArcGIS WebApp Builder (WAB) approaching, all regularly used web apps were successfully migrated to ArcGIS Experience Builder. Two new apps – Tracking App and Ecology Tracking App – were developed to replace WAB apps, featuring enhanced widgets for coordinate identification, elevation profiling, filtering, and searching animal and staff tracker data.

Animal Tracking Workflow Improvements:

• The process for adding and removing animal tracking collars was streamlined, including updates to field domains and symbology management. New guidance was provided for maintaining collar lists and troubleshooting symbology issues, ensuring accurate and up-to-date tracking data.

Vehicle Fault Reporting Automation:

• The vehicle fault reporting workflow was modernized by integrating Survey123 forms with Microsoft Power Automate. This setup now sends automatic email notifications to mechanics and submitters when a fault is reported. A new dashboard visualizes open cases, repair backlogs, and costs, improving transparency and efficiency.

Wildlife Monitoring & WhatsApp Integration:

• Priority species monitoring forms were enhanced for easier data entry and integrated with WhatsApp via WhatsAble and Make.com. When a species observation is submitted by wildlife monitors, key staff receive instant WhatsApp notifications with observation details and direct links to mapped locations to share with BGR WhatsApp groups.

ArcGIS Online Inventory & User Management:

• A comprehensive review of BGR’s ArcGIS Online inventory was conducted with current and former BGR staff, resulting in the removal of unused items and improved metadata tagging. User roles were reassessed, and BGR secured additional Mobile Worker licenses from Esri, enabling better data governance and transparency.

Best Practices & Future Recommendations:

• The project delivered documentation providing summaries of key app and data changes/maintenance for the duration of the project, and recommendations for future improvements. BGR is now equipped to manage their critical datasets, surveys and applications more collaboratively and efficiently.

Conclusion

This project has empowered Babanango Game Reserve to:

• Modernize and future-proof their GIS applications using the latest Esri technology and software.
• Improve operational efficiency in wildlife monitoring and vehicle maintenance on the reserve.
• Enhance staff training and understanding of the software/tools available to them, and how to manage their data more effectively with proper governance.
• Lay the groundwork for ongoing innovation in conservation technology.

“Partnering with GISCorps and having volunteer support from Joe Lemeris has been an incredible benefit for Babanango Game Reserve. Joe’s expertise helped us modernize and future-proof our GIS systems, ensuring that our conservation and operational workflows are both efficient and sustainable. From streamlining animal tracking processes and automating vehicle fault reporting to improving wildlife monitoring and integrating instant WhatsApp alerts, the solutions he implemented have transformed the way our team works on the ground.

Beyond the technology upgrades, Joe also provided invaluable staff training and documentation, empowering our team to confidently manage and maintain our GIS applications well into the future. The support from GISCorps has not only improved our day-to-day operations but also strengthened our long-term capacity to protect biodiversity and advance conservation at BGR. We are deeply grateful for this partnership and the lasting impact it has created.”

Bronwyn Dunlop, Research Coordinator, Babanango Game Reserve

Project Completed.