M.A.P Scientific Services

07/05/2026

We are looking forward to supporting Connected Conservation Foundation's first Protected Area Technician training workshop at Lapalala Wilderness.

We will be working with the cohort on practical ways to use Esri's geospatial tools in the field, from data collection to mapping, and operational dashboards.

Congratulations to all 16 recipients. See you at Lapalala Wilderness!

Thank you to Jordi van Oort, Carien Soldatos, Amy Laura Hoad, Sophie Maxwell, Esri South Africa, Esri, and Lapalala Wilderness for making this important training possible.

Announcing the first cohort of Protected Area Technician Scholarship winners! 🏆

Congratulations to 16 exceptional conservation technology professionals from across Africa selected for the inaugural Protected Area Technician (PAT) Scholarship Program.

The cohort will soon begin a first-of-its-kind, intensive two-week hands-on field training programme in partnership with the Lapalala Wilderness Nature Reserve in South Africa.

The training focuses on real-world, end-to-end technology operations, including deploying communication networks, installing and troubleshooting live sensor systems and supporting real-time monitoring platforms. Participants will gain hands-on experience in live wildlife collaring operations and resolving technical issues in remote, high-pressure environments. Ongoing internship opportunities will also be available.

We're excited to welcome all recipients — your work strengthens the critical technical backbone that supports conservation across Africa, from Liberia’s Upper Guinean forests to Madagascar's ecosystems.

👉 Meet the full cohort here: https://connectedconservation.foundation/news/meet-the-2026-protected-area-technician-pat-scholarship-winners/

16/02/2026

Great to see measurable results from improved fire management in Nsumbu National Park.

MAPSS helps partners quantify impact across a range of conservation outcomes—here using our burnt area product to translate on-the-ground action into clear, comparable metrics that support adaptive management and protect key habitats.

12/02/2026

Next week we will be at the International Conservation Technology Conference (ICTC) in Lima, Peru, where we’ll be sharing how ArcGIS is enabling Protected Area Management across landscapes.

As pressures on protected areas intensify, conservation requires integrated, intelligence-driven systems that unify operations, monitoring, and rapid response. In this session, we’ll explore how the ArcGIS ecosystem is being deployed to bring together:

• GIS and spatial intelligence
• Remote sensing workflows
• Mobile field data collection
• Advanced data management and reporting

📍 ArcGIS for Conservation Intelligence
🕐 Friday 20th February 1:50 PM – 2:00 PM
📌 Track: Technology-Enabled Responses to Wildlife Crime
📍 Location: Cusco 1
🎤 Speaker: Michael Mole, MAP Scientific Services

We look forward to connecting with fellow conservation technologists in Lima.

Also be sure to join the rest of the Esri team at the event. For more details see here https://lnkd.in/gBMk3SX4

Community

16/12/2025

As we look back on 2025, one theme stands out clearly: the importance of measuring impact in an increasingly uncertain world.

Throughout 2025, MAPSS worked closely with organisations committed to positive, practical impact. Together, we focused on moving beyond activity tracking towards decision-making grounded in outcomes. By combining field data, Earth observation, and spatial analysis, our partners were better able to understand what has changed, why it has changed, and what actions are needed next.

This approach strengthened more than operational efficiency. It built confidence to act decisively in complex landscapes, to justify investment, and to adapt when conditions shift.

We are grateful to the organisations who trusted us with their work this year, to partners who value scientific rigour, and to the MAPSS team whose efforts continue to be driven by evidence, integrity, and purpose.

Looking ahead, we remain convinced that measurable impact is essential. In times of uncertainty, clarity grounded in data is what enables meaningful and lasting change.

10/11/2025

The IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi offered an invaluable platform to connect with global leaders, scientists, policymakers, conservation practitioners, and community representatives. It showcased how collaboration, technology, and innovation are driving the next phase of conservation and shaping tangible solutions.

Some of our key takeaways:
- It was a privilege to reconnect with colleagues and partners and to engage with new collaborators exploring how spatial data, technology, and community-based approaches can strengthen conservation impact.

- Our partnership with Esri continues to reaffirm that we have chosen the right technology ally to drive meaningful and scalable impact. Their commitment to advancing conservation is evident in their $10 million in-kind GIS software contribution, announced at the Congress, to establish IUCN’s new Nature-based Education Facility. It’s another example of Esri consistently putting resources and effort behind their words, demonstrating a genuine and ongoing dedication to lasting conservation outcomes.

- During the week, IUCN Members approved a new 20-year strategic vision for nature conservation and adopted the ambitious Abu Dhabi Action Plan, which calls for urgent action across five priority areas to achieve a just, resilient, nature-positive future.

The Congress underscored the urgency for all of us to raise our ambition and intensify our efforts. I left Abu Dhabi feeling inspired, full of new ideas, and ready to put these ideas into practice.

02/11/2025

We joined the Esri Southern Africa User Conference for the third time in six years, and once again it delivered something new amidst the backdrop of the beautiful Drakensberg.

This year’s focus on GeoAI, AI Assistants and AI Agents stood out. We could clearly see the potential of these technologies within our conservation work. Without Esri, many of these tools (from large-scale spatial automation to ready-trained models, and conversational interfaces) would be far too costly to develop or apply solely for conservation purposes.

Thank you to Esri South Africa for organising an excellent event with compelling user stories and genuine innovation. We look forward to applying what we learned and to next time.

08/10/2025

As we are approaching the end of the fire season in Southern Africa, we want to recognise the outstanding work of the MAPSS Fire team.

Over the past 6 months the team has:
- Monitored over 34 million hectares, and
- Mapped more than 210 000 fires/burn scars that amount to 9.4 million hectares burnt - an area about three times the size of Lesotho.

This has been an incredible team effort in precision, determination, and dedication.

It is great to know that the work plays a crucial role in protecting our landscapes, livelihoods, and climate across the region.

Well done team on this incredible achievement!

03/10/2025

The IUCN World Conservation Congress begins next week in Abu Dhabi!

We are excited to be attending and look forward to connecting with fellow conservationists, ecologists, and organisations working to safeguard nature.

If you will also be there, please send us a message — we would love to meet up and share ideas.

09/06/2025

We're hiring – Intermediate Java Developer

MAPSS is looking for a capable and driven Intermediate Java Developer to join our team in a permanent, hybrid role based in Centurion. You’ll be working with real-world enterprise systems, contributing to both back-end services and front-end features. We’re after someone with 2–3 years of Java experience, ideally with Spring Boot, JPA/Hibernate, and relational databases (MSSQL/MySQL).

You’ll work alongside a collaborative team, take part in Agile development, and have the opportunity to grow your skills in areas like GraphQL, microservices, and modern UI frameworks.

If you’re interested, send your CV to [email protected] by 30 June 2025.

18/12/2024

As we look back, 2024 stands out as a year of unprecedented growth, innovation, and deepened partnerships. We owe our heartfelt gratitude to our expanding team of dedicated staff members, our valued clients, supportive partner organizations, and the friends and family who have stood by us.

MAPSS’s advancements have empowered organizations to make data-driven decisions, fostered sustainable development, and contributed to protecting our planet's natural resources. We are driving meaningful change in the environmental sector.

Here’s to building on our successes and making an even greater impact in the years to come.