WELCOMEThe Tech for Global Good

Design Challenge

BLACK RHINOS

Smart Parks

Smart Parks combines conservation with innovation and technology to protect some of the world’s most threatened animal populations.

Introduction

Terms to know:

The Tech for Global Good

The Tech for Global Good is an initiative that will create the next generation of innovators ready to tackle the toughest challenges facing our planet.

Innovation Design Process

What do you already know about rhinos? Draw or write about your ideas (complete sentences are not necessary).

1. Research the problem:

• Understand the design challenge.

• Read the background material.

2. Brainstorming:

• Write each idea (text/image/both) on a sticky note and put it on the whiteboard.

• Be creative! Think of as many wild ideas as possible.

• Develop questions and search out answers.

3. Create a solution:

• Each member shares their sticky notes and post them on the board.

• Group together similar ideas.

• Choose a few ideas to focus on or combine into your team’s solution.

4. Refine your solution:

• Get feedback from peers on your solution.

• Edit your solution and improve how it addresses the problems your team is focusing on.

5. Design a project and presentation:

• Get feedback on your solution from others.

• Please show:

• The specific problem your team is going to address.

• Your team’s solution for this problem.

• Story of how someone is impacted by your work.

Design Challenge

You and your team run an animal conservation foundation based out of San Jose that develops innovative technology and policy plans to help save endangered and threatened animals. Your team will use your skills as communicators, researchers, collaborators and creative problem-solvers to assist governments and communities in developing plans to help create more sustainable environments for animals and humans.

Designing a solution for the black rhino in the Moremi (More-em-e) National Park and Game Reserve (Botswana) (Bots-wan-uh)

Your team is working directly with the Moremi National Park and Game Reserve to innovate in black rhino conservation. As a company, your team has the ability to create policy and new technologies to help maintain and protect rhino populations in Botswana.

On the following pages you will receive more information about the challenges of protecting critically endangered rhinoceroses. Think about the different issues presented to help inspire your solution. As a company it is okay to design solutions where you collaborate with other organizations and governments, and where you can create new or innovate on current technologies. What will you do to create a change in Botswana that will ripple out into the world?

Changing Savannas

Savannas are large grassy areas with few or sparsely placed trees. Botswana is primarily a desert (70%) with some savannas and forests.

Botswana is currently experiencing changes in their country due to climate change, these changes include:

• Higher temperatures

• Longer draughts

• Changes in rainfall

• Decrease in water overall

All of these changes are leading to a decrease in savannas and an increase in desert regions. There is another pressure on the savannas: humans. Savannas are where most people farm or graze cattle. If the land isn’t managed very carefully, farming and grazing can further damage the savannas.

Black Rhinos

Black rhinos are 1,700 to 3,000 pound mammals that live on savannas and largely eat brush and other plants. Black rhinos are identified by their two horns and prehensile upper lip that helps them grab and chew on leaves and branches.

Rhinoceroses (rahy-nos-er-us-es) are crucial to protecting the savanna ecosystem. They prevent the overgrowth of scrub plants and small trees, plow the ground through digging, and they have a symbiotic relationship with some species of birds.

There are four subspecies of black rhinos and if all the subspecies were combined there are just over 5,000 total today. Compare that with the 65,000 black rhinos in the wild in 1970. Black rhinoceroses are now considered critically endangered because of the 96% decrease in population over the last 40 years.

There are a number of challenges in helping black rhino numbers rebound, including:

• Predation: this happens infrequently, though sometimes baby rhinos are eaten by hyenas.

• Slow reproduction rate: rhinoceros females will only breed every 2.5 to 3 years while they carry and then raise their young.

• Delicate system: many programs for breeding these rhinoceros in captivity have failed because they have a body system delicately balanced with their surroundings.

• Poaching: the most significant cause of the decline in black rhinos is from poaching. Poachers kill the rhino to take their horns. The current price associated with the horns on the black market are $60,000 per kilogram.

Moremi Game Reserve

Located on the eastern side of the Okavango (Oak-a-van-go) Delta is the world’s largest inland delta. This 1,900 square mile park was created in 1963 by the Batawana (Bat-a-wan-a) people of Ngamiland (Game-a-land). In 1970, the government took over the park and operations, including: negotiating with outside tourist groups reintroducing animals with conservationist groups, and protecting the animals with the military. However, the

Batawana people continue to manage the park and land rights. Through the efforts of all of these groups Moremi Game Park preserves the beauty of the savanna and brings about $6 million dollars of tourist profits to Botswana a year. Currently, the park is home to a wide variety of birds and mammals, including: elephants, white rhinos, black rhinos, giraffe, lions, leopards, hyenas and hippos.

Botswana currently has the lowest poaching numbers of any country in Africa as they use their military to protect natural resources from poachers. It has become a place where conservationists work to breed and protect animals. This helps with the tourist industry as people travel from all over the world to see the pristine savanna and the world’s largest inland delta. However, with the significant decrease in rhinoceroses overall there is concern about how to protect the animals of Moremi Game Park.

Pers

ona

Tech

nolo

gyO

rgan

izat

ions

Opi

nion

sIn

tern

atio

nal A

ppro

ache

s

Vill

ager

in K

hwai

(qu-why

)

I am

one

of t

he v

illag

ers

in K

hwai

, an

d m

y pe

ople

hav

e liv

ed o

n th

e O

kava

ngo

Del

ta fo

r as

long

as

anyo

ne c

an re

mem

ber.

Whe

n th

e Ba

taw

ana

peop

le m

ade

the

Mor

eme

Gam

e Re

serv

e th

ey

push

ed in

dige

nous

gro

ups

like

us

off o

f the

land

and

into

vill

ages

. O

ver t

he la

st 4

0 y

ears

we

have

le

arne

d to

farm

and

her

d ca

ttle

. N

ow th

ere

are

mor

e ch

ange

s in

th

e pa

rk a

nd m

ore

area

take

n to

hou

se to

uris

t. O

ur tr

ibe

lost

pa

rts

of o

ur w

ay o

f life

and

now

w

e th

ink

we

will

lose

mor

e as

the

land

is ta

ken

away

from

us

agai

n.

Ther

e ar

e a

few

jobs

to e

nter

tain

to

uris

ts, b

ut is

that

wor

th th

e lo

ss

of o

ur w

ay o

f life

and

our

land

? W

hat d

oes

the

futu

re h

old

for u

s,

our t

radi

tions

and

our

chi

ldre

n?

• Bo

ats

and

jeep

s fo

r tak

ing

tour

ists

to

see

ani

mal

s.•

Dem

onst

rate

cu

ltura

l pra

ctic

es

of th

e pe

ople

in

the

regi

on to

live

su

stai

nabl

y in

the

Oka

vang

o D

elta

.

• In

20

00,

the

Bots

wan

a go

vern

men

t bro

ught

C

omm

unity

-Bas

ed

Nat

ural

Res

ourc

e M

anag

emen

t (C

BNRM

) to

Khw

ai to

he

lp v

illag

ers

get j

obs

in n

atur

al re

sour

ce

man

agem

ent a

nd

tour

ism

. •

Khw

ai D

evel

opm

ent

Trus

t run

s a

cam

psite

an

d a

few

loca

l tou

rs

to e

arn

mon

ey fo

r th

e vi

llage

.

• It

is s

een

as

impo

rtan

t to

mak

e su

re th

e co

untr

y an

d co

mpa

nies

m

ake

mon

ey s

o th

ey c

an p

rote

ct th

e pa

rks,

but

it is

als

o im

port

ant t

o ha

ve

loca

l inv

olve

men

t be

caus

e th

e pe

ople

th

ere

know

the

area

and

val

ue th

e la

nd m

ore

than

an

yone

els

e.

• Th

ere

are

mov

es b

y m

any

coun

trie

s to

uni

te in

dige

nous

pe

ople

with

land

man

agem

ent

jobs

bec

ause

the

goal

s ar

e th

e sa

me

and

nativ

e pe

ople

’s kn

ow

the

land

bet

ter t

han

anyo

ne e

lse.

For e

xam

ple,

Mao

ri Re

serv

ed

Land

in N

ew Z

eala

nd.

Per

spe

ctiv

es o

n t

he

Issu

e

Pers

ona

Tech

nolo

gyO

rgan

izat

ions

Opi

nion

sIn

tern

atio

nal A

ppro

ache

s

Biol

ogis

t & G

enet

icis

t

With

few

er a

nim

als

in th

eir n

ativ

e ha

bita

ts, a

nim

al s

cien

tists

nee

d to

com

e up

with

new

way

s to

he

lp p

rote

ct a

nim

als.

Rhi

nos

are

a sp

ecia

l cas

e as

ther

e ar

e so

few

le

ft a

nd th

ey a

re v

ery

di� i

cult

to

mai

ntai

n in

zoo

s si

nce

they

are

so

wel

l ada

pted

to th

eir s

peci

�ic

habi

tats

. Wha

t can

we

do to

hel

p pr

eser

ve th

is s

peci

es?

• Rh

ino

DN

A In

dex

Syst

em (R

hOD

IS®)

to

hel

p pl

an a

nd

bree

d rh

inoc

eros

to

mai

ntai

n ge

netic

div

ersi

ty.

• Rh

ino

Con

serv

atio

n Bo

tsw

ana

is w

orki

ng

to s

uppo

rt rh

ino

cons

erva

tion

in th

e O

kava

ngo

Del

ta.

repo

rt.

• Th

ere

are

othe

r spe

cies

th

at a

re m

ore

impo

rtan

t to

pro

tect

. The

rhin

o is

ver

y di

� icu

lt to

sav

e du

e to

the

smal

l her

d nu

mbe

rs a

nd s

ensi

tivity

in

envi

ronm

enta

l cha

nges

.

• Pe

mbi

ent m

akes

3D

prin

ted

rhin

o ho

rns

to c

omba

t the

nee

d fo

r ‘re

al’ r

hino

hor

n. S

ome

are

conc

erne

d th

is w

ill in

crea

se

desi

re fo

r the

pro

duct

and

it

is h

ard

to te

ll th

e di

ff ere

nce

betw

een

real

and

fake

to s

top

poac

hers

.•

Cap

tive

bree

ding

pro

gram

s.

Thes

e ha

ve la

rgel

y be

en

unsu

cces

sful

.

Sold

ier i

n th

e Bo

tsw

ana

Def

ense

For

ce (B

DF)

I joi

ned

the

BDF

to s

erve

my

coun

try.

The

y sa

y ou

r prim

ary

mon

ey m

aker

of d

iam

ond

min

ing

is d

ying

dow

n an

d to

uris

m is

mor

e an

d m

ore

impo

rtan

t. Al

so, w

e he

ar

that

the

poac

hers

are

runn

ing

out o

f pla

ces

to g

o an

d so

on w

ill

com

e to

Bot

swan

a to

take

the

few

sa

vann

a an

imal

s le

ft. I

hav

e to

pr

otec

t my

coun

try

and

peop

le

by d

oing

my

best

to k

eep

our

envi

ronm

ent s

afe

from

thos

e w

ho

wan

t to

stea

l fro

m u

s. W

hat c

an I

do to

bes

t ser

ve th

e BD

F?

• Tr

acki

ng s

kills

to

mon

itor

rhin

ocer

os fr

om

a di

stan

ce a

nd

spot

pot

entia

l po

ache

rs.

• W

eapo

ns to

pr

otec

t the

an

imal

s an

d th

emse

lves

from

po

ache

rs.

• Rh

ino

Con

serv

atio

n Bo

tsw

ana

wor

ks w

ith

peop

le fr

om a

ll ov

er

Bots

wan

a to

pro

tect

th

e an

imal

s on

the

sava

nna.

• Rh

inos

are

con

side

red

one

of th

e “B

ig F

ive”

and

ar

e a

huge

boo

st in

saf

ari

tour

ism

.•

BDF

is to

o m

uch

forc

e to

pr

otec

t rhi

nos,

they

oft

en

shoo

t to

kill

and

have

ki

lled

fishe

rs a

nd p

oach

ers

indi

scrim

inat

ely.

•

BDF

chan

ged

thei

r tr

aini

ng p

roce

dure

s an

d ar

e on

ly a

rres

ting

peop

le

in th

e fie

ld b

ecau

se a

rmed

gu

ards

are

nec

essa

ry to

sc

are

away

poa

cher

s.

• D

NA

test

ing

of h

orns

take

n fr

om

poac

hers

to h

elp

auth

oriti

es

iden

tify

whe

re a

rhin

ocer

os w

as

poac

hed

from

. •

Som

e pl

aces

cut

the

horn

s off

of r

hino

s to

dis

cour

age

poac

hing

. Thi

s do

es n

ot s

eem

to

det

er p

oach

ers

and

it lim

its

the

rhin

os n

atur

al d

efen

se.

From Your Reading Below are some questions to help you process what you read

• What are some problems that affect rhino populations?

• What questions do you have based on your reading?

Brainstorm Notes Problem

• Why is this a problem?

• What region(s) are we going to focus on?

• What other problems does it remind you of?

• Often larger problems need to be broken down into smaller pieces. What part(s) of this problem does your team want to address?

Solution

• How could you combine these ideas to create a new solution?

• What ideas do you have that are nothing like what you have researched? (Wild ideas are welcome!)

• Who will help your team solve this problem? Which organizations, governments, etc.?

• How do these ideas help solve the problem?

• What is needed to implement or enforce your solution?

Impact

Pick one of the following identities:

• Tourist

• President of Botswana

• High school student

Based on one of the above identities think about how they will be impacted by your team’s solution to this problem.

• How will this person’s life change because of your solution?

• What would they think or say about your solution?

• How will this change impact someone with a similar identity that lives 2,000 miles away?

3 min

1 min

2 min

2 min

Listen and Help

STEP 1

Team A presents their design solution.

• Team B cannot speak.

• Team B can take notes.

Team B writes questions.

• Quiet minute for thinking.

Team B asks clarifying questions.

• Team A can answer.

• Team A can take notes.

Team B provides feedback.

• Team A should take notes.

3 min

1 min

2 min

2 min

STEP 2

Team B presents their design solution.

• Team A cannot speak.

• Team A can take notes.

Team A writes questions.

• Quiet minute of thinking.

Team A asks clarifying questions.

• Team B can answer.

• Team B can take notes.

Team A provides feedback.

• Team B should take notes.

Sharing Our Solution Our solution

• The problem as we see it is:

• Our solution is to:

• We plan to tell a story about how our solution helped this person:

Requesting/Focusing Feedback

• Was the part about is easy for you to understand?

• We want feedback on specifically does it ?

• What is your favorite part of our solution?

• What is part of our solution that you think needs work?

Giving Feedback to Other Team • What problem are you solving? Is it:

• Who will benefit from this solution?

• Can you explain how will help solve this problem?

• A question I have about your design solution is:

• One thing I like about your solution is:

• I think it is important that you include:

• I wonder what would happen if:

• I heard you say:

Design a Project and Presentation!

Pick a project:

• Business plan

• Advertising campaign

• Demo of potential device

• Slideshow

• Infographic

Project and presentation:

• Describe a focused problem

• Explain a solution to this problem

• Show how your solution will impact one person (tour boat operator, scuba diver or high school student)

Notes

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