9

LENS

A LANDSCAPE UNSEEN BY SCIENCE
Each of these nodes consists of an Arduino, XBee, and
a selection of sensors. The XBee Zigbee network
enables the nodes to communicate over long distances
as data packets can hop between neighbouring nodes
until they reach the central coordinator, which in this
case is the Raspberry Pi. For power, the nodes rely on
a solar panel and a 6600 mAH battery. “We want it to
be open-source and used by the most people who
can,” said Selbe. “There’s a lot we gain by
sharing information.”
Impressively, the Okavango Wilderness Project’s
wireless sensor network has already successfully
pinpointed problems at the local level. In one area of
the delta, sudden, conspicuous changes were detected
in the water’s pH. “I thought the sensor was off,” says
Selbe. Instead, tour boats were idling in that part of the
Delta, causing a concentration of pollutants in the
water. Selbe and his team co-ordinated directly with
the boat drivers to find better places to park and
discouraged them from letting engines idle. Before

long, the water quality returned to normal. Similarly, if

mining activity or oil exploration occurs in the

headwaters of the Delta, the team should be notified

the instant it happens. “If we can catch these

ecosystem threats as they occur, we have the potential

to save wildlife and mitigate the consequences,”

said Selbe.

The team’s previous treks explored the two other

major river systems that feed the Okavango Delta: the

unexplored Cuito, and the Cubango Rivers. This year,

the Okavango Wilderness Project is studying the

Cuando River, venturing into the heart of the region and

trekking through the remote reaches of the Basin in

search of evidence of Africa’s most iconic wildlife. This

journey will allow them to explore the intersection of

the Okavango and Zambezi Basins, two of the largest in

southern Africa, and much of the expedition will cover

uncharted territory among the vast marshy floodplains

and endless channels of south-eastern Angola.

The team will begin at the origin of the river in the

Angolan Highlands, setting up camera traps and

conducting surveys to document the biodiversity in the

area before setting off down the Cuando River.

“This project is just the beginning because all our

data is open-source and available to the public.

Ultimately, the Okavango from its source to where the

water disappears into the Kalahari Desert, can become

Africa’s largest nature conservation area, with

unexpected tourism and scientific opportunities,”

says Boyes.

Above

Four National Geographic explorers travelled to the Okavango

Delta. Left to right: Jer Thorp, Gregg Treinish, Steve Boyes,

and Shah Selbe

Above

Part of the

#Okavango15

mesh network

of environmental

monitoring stations

In 2010, Dr Steve Boyes enlisted the help of

French cameraman Jerome Hillaire and two

native Ba’Yei to make the first documented

journey across the Okavango Delta. This first

historic trip became an annual tradition, with

Boyes leading subsequent expeditions across

different sections of the Delta to gather new

data. Remarkably, in 2014, UNESCO declared

the Okavango Delta a World Heritage site,

protecting the land from agriculture and

extractive industries indefinitely, in part, due to

Dr Boyes’ research and advocacy.

ON THE GROUND

“It soon became clear to us that it did not make

sense to explore the Delta alone, but to know the

entire river system from source to end, in order to

preserve the Delta”

Dr Steve Boyes, founder of The Okavango Wilderness Project and expedition leader