WWF-Pakistan has opened applications for Conservation Pathfinders, a certified, hands-on workshop that asks students a practical question: how can AI and technology be used sustainably to address conservation challenges and support green businesses? The workshop is built around the theme of the sustainable use of AI and technology in conservation and green businesses, and it carries the tagline think, innovate, conserve. It is open to students from Grade 8 through to undergraduate level, which makes it one of the few programs of its kind to span school, college and university learners in a single track. Applications close on 6 December 2026, and every participating student will receive a Certificate of Participation.
The workshop is currently being offered to schools, colleges and universities in the South Region. Individual students can register by applying through the registration link shared in WWF-Pakistan’s announcement, so a student does not need an institution to nominate them. Institutions in the region that want to arrange participation for a group can contact Ali Shamroz, who is the point of contact for the South Region, at maskhan@wwf.org.pk. The announcement does not name a date or venue for the sessions, so applicants will need to confirm those details through the link or by contacting the organizers directly.
The theme draws on work that WWF-Pakistan already carries out in the field. In Gilgit-Baltistan, the organization worked with the Lahore University of Management Sciences to install five AI-based camera traps in places where communities reported livestock losses to snow leopards, and WWF-Pakistan says the cameras have helped turn conflict between people and wildlife into coexistence. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, AI-enabled camera traps have also been installed with the provincial Wildlife Department at sites in Nathiagali and Ayubia National Park to collect real time data on wildlife presence, species movement and possible poaching threats. These examples show the kind of problem the workshop wants students to examine, where technology can support conservation decisions but still depends on local people and wildlife managers to put its findings to use.
The second half of the theme, green businesses, widens the discussion beyond wildlife. Students who attend will be introduced to how technology can support environmentally responsible enterprises, a topic of growing interest for young people who are thinking about careers and ventures that combine commercial and environmental goals. By bringing together Grade 8 pupils and undergraduates, the workshop also lets younger learners see where a technology interest can lead, while older students get a practical grounding in how AI is being applied in real conservation settings. For students in the South Region who want a certificate and hands-on experience in this area, the next step is simple: apply through the link before 6 December 2026, or contact Ali Shamroz for details about arranging a group from a school, college or university.
Follow the SPIN IDG WhatsApp Channel for updates across the Smart Pakistan Insights Network covering all of Pakistan’s technology ecosystem.
