AI acoustic stations for birds and bats
Autonomous microphones and the BirdNET model recognise species by their song. Young people assemble and programme the stations and check results with ornithologists.
Protected species and youth-built technology
· birds · wildlife · plants · Natura 2000Young people build the technology that listens to nature.
For 2026–2027, Asociația Grupul Verde is preparing programmes in which children and young people build AI acoustic stations, camera traps, sensors and apps. With them they follow birds, mammals, bats, amphibians, pollinators and legally protected plants, without disturbing them. The data goes to protected-area managers, researchers and citizen-science platforms.
At a glance
What we protect and the rules we follow.
- What we protect
- Wild birds (Birds Directive 2009/147/EC), species and habitats of Community interest (Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC), species protected under Romanian Emergency Ordinance 57/2007
- Where
- Natura 2000 sites and protected areas in Vrancea, from the Siret floodplain to Putna-Vrancea Nature Park, with the managers’ consent
- Who
- Pupils aged 10–18 and young people aged 18–30, with trainers, biologists and volunteers
- With what
- AI acoustic stations, camera traps, IoT sensors, iNaturalist and apps built by young people
- Target programmes
- LIFE, Horizon Europe (Nature, Cluster 6, Soil Mission), European Solidarity Corps, Erasmus+, European Youth Foundation
- Status
- 2026–2027 · open to partners
What young people build
Six tools, no disturbance to wildlife.
Every tool is built and tested by young people in workshops, then used in the field together with specialists.
Camera traps with AI identification
Motion-triggered cameras for mammals. An AI model sorts the images, and photos of people are deleted automatically.
Pollinator monitoring
Bee and butterfly transects, photos verified on iNaturalist and an app that helps with identification. Area A of the programme.
Invasive species map
A reporting app for ragweed, black locust and other invasive species that threaten native plants and protected habitats.
Wetland sensors
Water level and temperature sensors in temporary ponds where amphibians breed, with alerts when they dry out.
Digital herbarium of protected plants
Protected plants are photographed and mapped, never picked. Young people build the digital herbarium and the flower map.
Our rules in the field
We protect, we do not disturb.
- We keep away from nests, burrows and bat colonies and respect nesting and hibernation periods.
- We do not pick protected plants or handle animals: young people observe, photograph and record.
- We do not publish exact locations of sensitive species; on iNaturalist we use obscured coordinates.
- We work in protected areas only with the area manager’s consent and the permits required by law.
- Data is shared openly with researchers and protected-area managers, with no personal data of children.
Programme lines
Linked to the 2026–2027 portfolio.
The tools above belong to these programme lines, each designed for a specific European call.
Living labs for nature and climate
Soil living labs: Continental, Black Sea (Pontic) and Steppic regions
Three of Romania’s biogeographical regions, one protocol: young people measure soil moisture and carbon with sensors they build.
Target programme: Horizon Europe · Soil Mission
Linked to: Nature Restored, Sensors in Protected Areas
Living labs for nature and climate
Living labs for ecosystem restoration
Meadows, riverbanks and forest edges restored with the community; young people track results with cameras and AI acoustic stations.
Target programme: Horizon Europe · Nature
Linked to: Nature Restored, Environment & biodiversity
Living labs for nature and climate
Biodiversity monitoring — Area A: pollinators
Bee and butterfly transects, photos verified on iNaturalist and an AI model that helps with identification, all run by pupils.
Target programme: Horizon Europe · Nature
Linked to: Environment & biodiversity, Sensors in Protected Areas
Living labs for nature and climate
European network of living labs for nature restoration
The Vrancea living labs connect with labs in other countries: the same data, compared, and young people learning from each other.
Target programme: Horizon Europe · Nature
Linked to: Nature Restored, Partners & UNESCO
Living labs for nature and climate
Living labs for invasive species
Young people map ragweed, black locust and other invasive species with a reporting app and, with experts, propose control steps.
Target programme: Horizon Europe · Cluster 6
Linked to: Environment & biodiversity, Sensors in Protected Areas
Living labs for nature and climate
Living labs: inclusive governance for nature
Farmers, local councils, schools and young people decide together how land is used. Young people bring the data, the community brings experience.
Target programme: Horizon Europe · Cluster 6
Linked to: Green Case-Law Observatory, Civic and legal education
Living labs for nature and climate
LIFE — Standard Action Project: nature and governance
A LIFE project built on what the living labs have learned: habitat restoration, digital monitoring and decisions taken with the community.
Target programme: LIFE
Linked to: Nature Restored, Funding
European Solidarity Corps
International volunteering teams (waste, recycling, inclusion)
Mixed teams of young people from several countries who clean up, sort and measure waste with an app they built.
Target programme: European Solidarity Corps (EACEA)
Linked to: Environment & biodiversity, Inclusion for Every Child
European Solidarity Corps
International youth activity (climate, environment)
A week in which young people from several countries field-test environmental sensors and compare their data.
Target programme: Council of Europe · European Youth Foundation
Linked to: Environment & biodiversity, Sensors in Protected Areas
Frequently asked questions
What parents and partners ask us.
Do children work directly with animals?
No. Children and young people observe, photograph, record sounds and build the tools. They do not touch or move animals or plants, and in the field they are always accompanied by adults and specialists.
Why use AI?
An acoustic station records hundreds of hours per season. AI recognises the species in the recordings and young people check the results with specialists. That way they learn both technology and biology.
What happens to the data?
It goes to protected-area managers, researchers and open platforms such as iNaturalist. The locations of sensitive species stay hidden.
How do we become partners?
Write to relatii.institutionale@grupulverde.ro with the call you are targeting (LIFE, Horizon Europe, European Solidarity Corps, Erasmus+). We reply within 2–3 working days.