Over the last seven years, the IDEA WILD equipment (GPS, soil moisture and pH meter, rangefinder and digital camera) has been used to train over 750 undergraduate and postgraduate students from the Department of Ecotourism and Wildlife Management at the Federal University of Technology, Akure (Nigeria). The students were educated in four distinct courses on the applications of geospatial technology on the impact of ecotourism on ecosystems, rangeland management, forestry, and recreation ecology. 

It’s also encouraging to know that three faculty members (ADETNIGE0418, and ODEWNIGE0920; ADEKSOUT0121) and five postgraduate students (AZEENIGE1120, OFUYNIGE0621, ADENNIGE1121, and two new awardees) from my department applied for and were awarded the IDEA WILD equipment grant because of the publicity generated by my project.

My heartfelt gratitude to IDEA WILD for the incredible opportunity to conduct innovative research and contribute to capacity building through the equipment grant. 

~Oluwatobi Emmanuel Olaniyi – Nigeria – Project ID: OLANNIGE1213   

From a volunteer who delivered the equipment to a recipient in 2022:

I traveled to Uganda last month, and was able to deliver the laptop to Akiikih (the binoculars were already delivered earlier by a friend).
He is very happy with it, and sent me the attached thank-you letter and some pics and clips that he asked me to forward.

As I spent a few days with them in their village , I became even more impressed with the work that Akiikih and his organization BACHO are doing.
As there is so much wildlife in the area, and often entering the village, conservation is so important to reduce the potential conflicts.
They’re using a lot of educational and cultural programs
(including arts, drama, music etc) on those topics.

Many thanks again,

Koen Van Rompay, D.V.M. Ph.D.
Unit leader, Infectious Diseases
Project ID: APPOUGAN0820

I have been awarded with IDEA WILD equipment when I was finishing my Bachelor at the University of Buenos Aires, and this has helped tremendously to launch my career as a conservation biologist. Today (July 2020), fifteen years later, I have accepted a prestigious permanent position as a CONICET (National Research Council of Argentina) Research Scientist to continue working to address important conservation problems in Argentina. Undoubtedly, I owe part of this accomplishment to NGOs such as Idea Wild that keep empowering conservation biologists in the developing world.

~Alejandro Pietrek – Argentina – PIETARGE0720~

To be honest, IDEA WILD material funding in my earlier projects was immense and words have no power to explain the positive impact it brought to me and researchers in my institution as well as my MSC students. IDEA WILD materials grant has immense contributions to most of my recent publications works and the ones on the process. Even, my promotion itself is due to IDEA WILD.

I am eagerly looking forward to your compassionate response to support my project.

~Dereje Yazezew, Ph.D – Ethiopia – Project ID: MAMMETHI0614~

The equipment sponsored by IDEA WILD was core to the success of this research field season. I used the dive equipment (regulator and BCD) and the underwater camera on a regular basis over these three months, and without this equipment, my fieldwork would not have been possible. I offer great thanks to IDEA WILD and their sponsors for facilitating this important research that will hopefully aid coral reef restoration and conservation efforts in Palau and serve as a scientific basis for conservation efforts more broadly in coral reef regions globally.

~Liam Lachs and Victor Nestor – Palau – Project ID: LACHPALA1219~

We would like to take a moment to thank you once again
for the equipment grant awarded in 2024.
Because of it, this year, we’ve had the opportunity
to incorporate a thermal camera into our research,
which has been a significant addition to our efforts
in sustainable land management and environmental conservation.

The imaging equipment you provided continues to enhance our ability to collect and analyze data that directly supports both our research and the community we serve.
Thank you for your ongoing support of our mission to foster sustainable practices and preserve the health of our natural environment.

~Sofia Lewis Vega – Mexio – LEWIMEXI0324~

 I write to express my sincerest appreciation for the support in the form of equipments given me during my thesis research.
I successfully completed the research and has subsequently been awarded my Mphil degree.

The equipment did not just benefit me but now serve as equipments for
other students in my department. 

~Japheth S.T.Roberts – Ghana – ROBEGHAN0610~

Thank you very much for your support and generosity.  I wish to thank you for opening this door of opportunity, which is a huge step for me, and for giving me strength to persist and succeed.

~Gilson Souza Ferreira Neto – Brazil – FERRBRAZ0820~

I wanted to thank y’all again for the equipment. All the guys are having a blast using the new tools, and the leaf blower is now our foreman’s best friend. We can’t say thank you enough for the help. Items like the chainsaw chaps, a necessity in any OSHA abiding business in the US, are unheard of hear and are quintessential to safety in the field of tree work.

~Shannon Slivinske – Belize – MCCOBELI08109~

Idea Wild is a great organisation ready to support conservationists early on in their career, as projects are developing and emerging. We were delighted to be donated vital equipment for our bat research and conservation projects when RWCA was first starting out. It was crucial for us to have organisations like Idea Wild believe in our work, and trust us to deliver the results. After receiving the Whitley Gold Award, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Idea Wild, and every other organisation who has encouraged us, and supported us in our journey, helping us to achieve great things.’ 

~Dr. Olivier Nsengimana
Founder and CEO of Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association (RWCA)
Project ID: NSENRWAN0218~

IDEA WILD’s support has given us more than just a camera—it has given us a voice. It has enabled us to tell the story of vultures in a way that words alone cannot. Through this lens, we capture the beauty, tragedy, and triumphs of conservation. Every image preserves history, inspires change, and strengthens our fight for a future where vultures thrive. By making our work fully transparent, we build trust, raise awareness, and drive action.

On behalf of Vulpro and the vultures we dedicate our lives to protecting, we extend our deepest gratitude to IDEA WILD. Your generosity is not just an investment in equipment — it is an investment in the survival of a species.. 

~Kerri Wolter & Tracy Karam – Vulpro Conservation Program of South Africa – Six-time Grant Recipients from IDEA WILD~

IDEA WILD equipped me with my very first field tools:
a pair of binoculars, a GPS, and a rangefinder.

This essential equipment allowed me to
launch my independent Javan gibbon survey
during the early stages of my career.

These seemingly simple items made a big difference,
enabling monitoring, detailed habitat mapping, and
engagement with local conservation needs.

For early-career conservationists,
microgrants like this are more than just financial aid.
They are powerful tools for building capacity.
They help level the playing field and
empower local scientists to lead conservation on their own terms.

Thank you, IDEA WILD, for turning intention into action and for believing in the power of local conservationists to create lasting impact.

~Rahayu Oktaviani
Co-Founder & Director of the
Yayasan Konservasi Ekosistem Alam Nusantara (KIARA)
Project ID: OKTAINDO0315~

This is to express all my gratitude for your help in my research project. It is certainly admirable all your work and enormous contribution to wildlife conservation worldwide. Countless are the projects that have been materialized thanks to your help and that  have resulted in significant efforts to promote the conservation of many species and in the education of many people. These are goals that should be of the highest priority in the world we live in today. Thank you for that. You’ll be hearing about my progress with my work, hoping it to be one of those that make significant contributions to wildlife preservation.

~Gustavo Castro Peinador – Costa Rica – Project ID: PEINCOST1009~

I wish to thank IDEAWILD for showing great assistance in providing field equipment for me once more time.  IDEA WILD’s used laptop computer was undoubtedly very useful during my fieldwork in 2008 and 2010. My project entitled “Bats Diversity In Buton Island, S.E. Sulawesi, Indonesia” and here I attach photos of me and IDEA WILD used laptop computer also project report summary. For your information, I am currently also just graduated from masters degree and hopefully will continue my study to higher level this year.

Thank you IDEA WILD for making my dreams comes true again.

~Felicia Lasmana – Indonesia – Project ID: SARIINDO0308~

Many thanks for arranging to have these items shipped here. I’ve served as a conduit for [several] Latin American students whom IDEA WILD has supported in the past, and know how much of a positive difference you and your organization makes to their professional development and research opportunities.  So, my sincerest thanks to you and IDEA WILD!

~James L. Patton, PhD
Curator and Professor Emeritus, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology
Department of Integrative Biology, U of CA Berkeley
Peru – ARONPERU0312~