Donate to help with the November 2026 Rockhopper Penguin Census.
Your contribution turns science into action , helping to fund drone surveys and AI research that help protect these remarkable birds.
Together, we can count what matters.
Why We’re Doing This
Southern Rockhopper Penguins are facing long-term population declines across much of their range. The Falkland Islands remain one of their last strongholds, home to one of the largest breeding populations in the world.
To protect these penguins, we need accurate, reliable data on how their numbers are changing. Traditional ground counts are slow, difficult, and often inaccurate. That’s why SAERI is leading an innovative research effort that uses UAVs (drones) and advanced AI models to count penguins with unprecedented accuracy. This approach is safer, faster, and capable of surveying entire colonies in ways never before possible.
How Donations Are Used
Every contribution goes directly toward critical elements of the project:
UAV Surveys : Maintaining drone equipment, funding field missions to remote colonies, and training local teams to safely capture high-quality aerial imagery
AI Development: Improving machine learning models that automatically detect and count penguins in drone images, ensuring fast and accurate population estimates
Fieldwork & Logistics: Covering transportation, fuel, safety gear, weatherproof equipment, and data storage required to operate in challenging sub-Antarctic conditions.
Conservation Impact: Producing open-access reports, sharing data with conservation organisations, and supporting long-term monitoring crucial for informed decision-making
Why your Support
Matters?
Your donation directly fuels conservation work that goes far beyond research. It enables us to understand how penguins are responding to climate change, shifts in food availability, and other environmental pressures. When you give, you’re helping to:
Protect a species that is declining worldwide
Support world-leading conservation technology in the Falkland Islands
Empower scientists with the tools they need to inform real policy and management decisions
Ensure we can continue long-term monitoring essential for the future of the species
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