Community-based Biodiversity Conservation Films or CBCF, a Darwin Initiative project, is run in both Kenya and Tanzania, and helps local conservationists make and edit films with local communities by explaining the importance of biodiversity to their lives and livelihoods.
The University of Leicester, in the UK is working in partnership with Kenyan and Tanzanian wildlife groups including Nature Kenya (the main national biodiversity conservation NGO, the National Museums of Kenya, Tanzania National Resource Forum, and with regional partners. In Naivasha, Kenya, these include the Lake Naivasha Riparian Association, the Koibatek County Council, the Friends of Kinangop, and the African Conservation Centre.
Purpose
To make 300+ short (5-25 minute) films that link biodiversity conservation to sustainable livelihoods of local communities on issues which are also embedded in the national curricula, in digital laboratories in two pilot countries; to disseminate these films through a regional network of existing Education Centres in each country; to evaluate the effectiveness of these films at primary/secondary school, college/university & wider community and to share the best practices globally.
Goals
CBCF has seven main goals:
1. To train indigenous young conservationists in Kenya and Tanzania to make biodiversity conservation films,
2. To make these films in partnership with local communities about issues linked to their local livelihoods,
3. To achieve 15 Film Series (collections of about 10 short films on the same theme) on relevant topics by the End of Project,
4. To distribute these films among education organisations (NGO and government) within each country,
5. To evaluate the effectiveness of digital films as a means of education and capacity-building in schools and countries,
6. To establish digital laboratories for conservation film-making in each country and
7. To produce a Manual by the End of Project, so that the process can be repeated anywhere across the world.
History
CBCF started on October 2007 and was developed from an initiative of Richard Brock, producer of BBC TV’s “Life on Earth” and “The Living Planet”, and David Harper, ecologist and conservationist at the University of Leicester, who has conducted research in East Africa’s Rift Valley for 25 years, in partnership with conservation film-makers Ben Please (UK) and Erin Moore (USA), who had experience of conservation film-making in East Africa.
Links
Community-based Biodiversity Conservation Films - CBCF Website
The University of Leicester, in the UK is working in partnership with Kenyan and Tanzanian wildlife groups including Nature Kenya (the main national biodiversity conservation NGO, the National Museums of Kenya, Tanzania National Resource Forum, and with regional partners. In Naivasha, Kenya, these include the Lake Naivasha Riparian Association, the Koibatek County Council, the Friends of Kinangop, and the African Conservation Centre.
Purpose
To make 300+ short (5-25 minute) films that link biodiversity conservation to sustainable livelihoods of local communities on issues which are also embedded in the national curricula, in digital laboratories in two pilot countries; to disseminate these films through a regional network of existing Education Centres in each country; to evaluate the effectiveness of these films at primary/secondary school, college/university & wider community and to share the best practices globally.
Goals
CBCF has seven main goals:
1. To train indigenous young conservationists in Kenya and Tanzania to make biodiversity conservation films,
2. To make these films in partnership with local communities about issues linked to their local livelihoods,
3. To achieve 15 Film Series (collections of about 10 short films on the same theme) on relevant topics by the End of Project,
4. To distribute these films among education organisations (NGO and government) within each country,
5. To evaluate the effectiveness of digital films as a means of education and capacity-building in schools and countries,
6. To establish digital laboratories for conservation film-making in each country and
7. To produce a Manual by the End of Project, so that the process can be repeated anywhere across the world.
History
CBCF started on October 2007 and was developed from an initiative of Richard Brock, producer of BBC TV’s “Life on Earth” and “The Living Planet”, and David Harper, ecologist and conservationist at the University of Leicester, who has conducted research in East Africa’s Rift Valley for 25 years, in partnership with conservation film-makers Ben Please (UK) and Erin Moore (USA), who had experience of conservation film-making in East Africa.
Links
Community-based Biodiversity Conservation Films - CBCF Website
</noinclude>Most people own digital cameras and camcorders. These devices produce very high quality pictures and videos that are very large in size.
It is impossible to send these files via email, without reducing their size and quality. Web site upload based solutions require you to upload each file individually and then require the receiver to download each file individually. This works well for one or two files but gets cumbersome when sending large quantity of files. Also, most of them limit the single size file to 2GB.
Binfer provides the solution that enables transfers of big files directly between two computers.
It is impossible to send these files via email, without reducing their size and quality. Web site upload based solutions require you to upload each file individually and then require the receiver to download each file individually. This works well for one or two files but gets cumbersome when sending large quantity of files. Also, most of them limit the single size file to 2GB.
Binfer provides the solution that enables transfers of big files directly between two computers.
Tetrix Robotics Building System is a robotics building system that features metal components ¬- including structural members, gears of various sizes, wheels, sprockets, electric motors and servos. These components can be assembled into a variety of mechanized appartuses.
Intended Use
The system is intended for use in educational settings for hands-on explorations of mechanisms and robotics. Tetrix is also designed for use in robotic competitions, such as the FIRST Tech Challenge, a team-oriented contest for high schoolers.
Tetrix and LEGO Mindstorms NXT
The Tetrix system was designed was to allow users to create stronger, heavier-duty robots while leveraging the programming of NXT Software and the autonomy of the NXT Intelligent Brick. Lego Mindstorms NXT is a very popular product line in the area of robotics education. The NXT Intelligent Brick features a 32-bit microprocessor which enables it to execute user-written programs based on feedback from a variety of sensors. Users can create control programs with LEGO Mindstorms Education NXT Software, then download them via Bluetooth to the robot-mounted NXT brick.
Tetrix and Radio Control
Robots built from Tetrix components may also be controlled via radio control equipment - hand-held radio transmitters (like those manufactured by Futaba), and receivers mounted on the robot chassis. This enables a human operator to control the robot’s movements from a remote location.
Tetrix is manufactured and marketed by Pitsco, inc. an educational supply company based in Pittsburg, KS.
Intended Use
The system is intended for use in educational settings for hands-on explorations of mechanisms and robotics. Tetrix is also designed for use in robotic competitions, such as the FIRST Tech Challenge, a team-oriented contest for high schoolers.
Tetrix and LEGO Mindstorms NXT
The Tetrix system was designed was to allow users to create stronger, heavier-duty robots while leveraging the programming of NXT Software and the autonomy of the NXT Intelligent Brick. Lego Mindstorms NXT is a very popular product line in the area of robotics education. The NXT Intelligent Brick features a 32-bit microprocessor which enables it to execute user-written programs based on feedback from a variety of sensors. Users can create control programs with LEGO Mindstorms Education NXT Software, then download them via Bluetooth to the robot-mounted NXT brick.
Tetrix and Radio Control
Robots built from Tetrix components may also be controlled via radio control equipment - hand-held radio transmitters (like those manufactured by Futaba), and receivers mounted on the robot chassis. This enables a human operator to control the robot’s movements from a remote location.
Tetrix is manufactured and marketed by Pitsco, inc. an educational supply company based in Pittsburg, KS.
esoTalk is a light-weight Internet forum package written in the PHP scripting language. Available under the GNU General Public License, esoTalk is a free software. It is designed to be simple, fast, and fully featured.
Features
Being a simple and fast Internet forum package, esoTalk only includes major functions for discussion. Unlike other Internet forums, an esoTalk forum only includes one board and no category, and the only board is also the main page. It uses tags to categorize everything such as private conversations and drafts.
Based on Ajax, an esoTalk forum automatically updates while someone replying, and people can easily switch to what they want to read by scrolling the blue bar. It is convenient to add and remove skins and plugins, change a member's status, and “star” conversations by one-clicking on an esoTalk forum.
The package of self-made esoTalk emoticons is also released on Wikimedia Commons.
History
esoTalk has been being developed since early 2008, but it was still in alpha stage until December 2009. esoTalk was originally developed and designed by the Australian brothers, Simon Zerner and Toby Zerner, and over a half part of original codes were written by Simon; however, he was rest in peace in mid-2009, and his brother Toby continued the development.
The first public beta version, 1.0.0 beta 1, has been released on 1 December 2009.
Features
Being a simple and fast Internet forum package, esoTalk only includes major functions for discussion. Unlike other Internet forums, an esoTalk forum only includes one board and no category, and the only board is also the main page. It uses tags to categorize everything such as private conversations and drafts.
Based on Ajax, an esoTalk forum automatically updates while someone replying, and people can easily switch to what they want to read by scrolling the blue bar. It is convenient to add and remove skins and plugins, change a member's status, and “star” conversations by one-clicking on an esoTalk forum.
The package of self-made esoTalk emoticons is also released on Wikimedia Commons.
History
esoTalk has been being developed since early 2008, but it was still in alpha stage until December 2009. esoTalk was originally developed and designed by the Australian brothers, Simon Zerner and Toby Zerner, and over a half part of original codes were written by Simon; however, he was rest in peace in mid-2009, and his brother Toby continued the development.
The first public beta version, 1.0.0 beta 1, has been released on 1 December 2009.