Tech to Reconnect | San Diego Zoo Global – Technology as a Gateway to New Realms of Nature

Exploring Nature Like Never Before

Our Community

We work with creative scientists, engineers, designers, artists, and conservationists of all ages. Please join our mailing list and attend an event— we’d love to work with you too!

Our Mission

In accordance with our organizational vision to lead the fight against extinction, we design, prototype, and promote technologies to reach conservation goals.

Our Vision

We envision a world where human technologies connect us with wildlife and habitats by helping us understand, empathize with, and protect natural systems.

Selected Prototypes & Projects

We're starting to build tools to explore and discover nature. What if you could experience plant and animal perspectives?

Becoming a Butterfly
Feel your way south like a monarch using our app paired to a special vest.
Bat Sense
Find your way like a bat.
Giraffe Perspective Simulator
See from a giraffe's point of view.
Smart Birdhouse
Track and quantify bird nesting behavior.
Climate Leaf
Measure light, heat, and humidity from a plant perspective.

Tech to Reconnect Events

Please join us at our next event in 2019!

Our Tech to Reconnect event series highlights ways our collaborators and colleagues use technology to gain understanding about (and empathy with) the natural world.

Please sign up to our mailing list below for updates on future events.

Community Partners

Our Team

As co-founder and director of this initiative, my hope is that we continue to work with our creative community to solve conservation challenges.

Dr. Gabriel Miller, Director of Research & Development, San Diego Zoo Global

We want to make the zoo of the future today. Using new technologies, we can help people understand the value of nature and help to protect it.

Paula Brock, Chief Financial Officer, San Diego Zoo Global

We must embrace all technologies available (and work to invent more!) to care for and connect with our environment.

Dr. Allison Alberts, Chief Conservation Officer, San Diego Zoo Global

I believe that nature and human technology synergize!

Nika Haleftiras, Conservation Technology Alumna, San Diego Zoo Global

With technology, we can amplify our conservation efforts!

Preston Buck, Conservation Technology Superstar, San Diego Zoo Global

Previous Speakers

Director, MIT FabLab San Diego

Director of Global Communications, GoPro

Co-director, Engineers for Exploration UCSD & Emerging Explorer, National Geographic

Sonic Artist & Experience Designer

Senior Program Manager, Google

Founder & Chairman, Techshop

CEO, Two Bit Circus

Co-founder, OpenROV

Chief Astronaut Instructor, Virgin Galactic

Dr. Manu Prakash

Asst Prof of Bioengineering, Stanford

Shawnee Baughman

Manager, Stanford Virtual Human Interaction Lab

Daniel Rorhlick

Lead Programmer, Scripps Institution of Oceanography Games

Cristina Mittermeier

Sony Artisan Photographer and Conservationist

Submarine Pilot & National Geographic Young Explorer

Dr. John Bailey

Program Manager, Google Geo Education

Dr. Andrew Quitmeyer

Researcher and Founder, Digital Naturalism

Research Affiliate & Arts Curator, Space Exploration Initiative, MIT Media Lab

Karla Renschler

Product Marketing Specialist, Global Forest Watch

CEO and Founder, Rainforest Connection