Coexathon 2021

Join us for IWCN’s Coexistence Innovation Challenge November 19-20, 2021

Put your passion to work for resolving human-wildlife conflicts by joining our Coexathon challenge where we will use our knowledge, skills and expertise collectively and collaboratively to explore potential solutions to the problems faced.

Invited teams (challenge teams) will compete in a virtual hackathon to identify new approaches, strategies, or tools for defusing conflict to support communities in coexisting with their local wildlife. The aim of the coexathon is to build community/networks, develop new ideas and perspectives to real world conservation issues, and to have fun along the way. We have selected two very worthy coexistence challenges, both of which will help to highlight the issues as well as explore solutions that other coexistence projects can then use:

  • Wolves in the Levant project: The Golan Heights region in Northern Israel is used for extensive cattle grazing with 60% of Israel’s free ranging domestic ungulates. The region also supports a recovering population large predators such as the grey wolf (Canis lupus) and golden jackal (Canis aureus). Since the 1990s, there has been an increase in human-carnivore conflict that has resulted in livestock predation and the killing of wolves. Pneumonia (lung infection) other diseases cause significant calf mortality and may make them vulnerable to predation. This situation is not sustainable for ranchers nor wildlife. Political issues provide additional challenges in this region.  The aim of this challenge is to identify new ideas to help in-country team from Compassionate Conservation, Middle East research group to foster positive attitudes and provide practical solutions to help ranchers coexist with the local wildlife.
  • Human Chimpanzee Coexistence in Uganda: Uganda is home to an estimated 5,000 chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) in the forested Bunyoro and Rwenzori regions of Uganda. In the past few decades, the region has been altered by rapid human population growth and deforestation for human agriculture and materials leading to conflict between humans and chimpanzees. Local communities have been impacted by chimpanzees eating crops, competition over water sources and injury or death of community members by chimpanzees. Although chimpanzees are an endangered species they have been injured or killed by humans, which includes indiscriminate killing as a result of snares set for other wildlife. Increasingly chimpanzees are having difficulty in finding food and shelter amid the rapid deforestation. The aim of this challenge is to help in-country team from the Jane Goodall Institute to find new and innovative ways to support local communities to live alongside chimpanzees and improve the welfare and conservation of chimpanzees in Uganda.

Key dates:  

Week of 8th November 2021: Challenge teams briefed about the aims, agenda, process and logistics of the Coexathon. Challenge teams will have an opportunity to meet the project teams in Israel and Uganda to ask questions about the local context, communities and wildlife.  

Coexathon weekend November 19th & 20th,  2021: Challenge teams have 24 hours to develop and then present their ideas, insights, and tools to a panel of judges who will evaluate the challenge teams’ ideas and award the winning team.  

Day 1: Brainstorm ideas virtually in your challenge teams, identify a team spokesperson and develop a way to present your concept.

Day 2: Teams present their concept to a panel of judges who will evaluate the challenge teams’ concepts and award the winning team with prizes such as an original wildlife print, books, IWCN merchandise and more.

Sign up:

In addition to supporting local communities, teams will compete for a range of prizes and recognition. To sign up your team please fill out the registration form below. 

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