Strengthening Global Biodiversity Monitoring: Insights from Helsinki and Tallinn

Andy giving a talk about GBiOS at the Finland's Ecosystem observatory launch event in Helsinki.

I visited Helsinki in March to give a few talks on GEO BON’s effort to establish a Global Biodiversity Observing System (GBiOS). I spoke at the launch of Finland’s Ecosystem observatory (FEO) a large cooperative project funded by Finnish Environment Ministry and the Environment Institute (SYKE). FEO is transforming Finland’s capacity to monitor the changing state of its ecosystems and biodiversity. I learned a great deal and plan to bring this know how into the process of developing a similar observatory for Canada (CAN BON).

I also went to Tallinn, Estonia, where I spoke to colleagues funded by Biodiversa+ a European Biodiversity Partnership supporting transnational monitoring of biodiversity and ecosystem change for science and society. There too I learned so much about the state of the art in biodiversity monitoring and how researchers can work across borders to deepen our understanding of biodiversity change. An example is the project Big_Picture that is developing data management and analytical tools to integrate and advance professional and citizen science camera-trapping initiatives across Europe.