Listening to the Forest: Bioacoustics Monitoring Launched in Malaita
At Native Squared, one of our core commitments is to continuously improve the accuracy, transparency, and credibility of the data underpinning every Native Square. This month marks an important step forward in that mission, with the successful installation of AgriSound bioacoustics devices at our Kira Conservation Site in Malaita, Solomon Islands.
On 3rd March, the Mai Maasina Green Belt (MMGB) team, alongside local Kira rangers, installed two bioacoustics monitoring devices across the forest. Despite challenging conditions, including heavy rain and limited network coverage, the team carefully positioned the devices in areas where signal could be maintained, ensuring reliable data transmission. These devices are now beginning to collect continuous acoustic data from two distinct locations within the forest, with additional installations planned as data flow is confirmed.
Bioacoustics technology allows us to “listen” to the forest, capturing the sounds of birds, insects, and other wildlife to build a detailed picture of biodiversity over time. This forms a critical part of our Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) approach, complementing satellite analysis and other emerging tools such as eDNA. By combining these data streams, we are able to provide an increasingly rich, dynamic, and transparent view of ecosystem health—moving beyond static snapshots to real-time, evidence-based insights.
We are incredibly grateful to AgriSound for their support in donating these devices and helping make this deployment possible. Partnerships like this are essential in pushing the boundaries of what high-integrity nature markets can look like.
This work is already being powered by the Native community. Following recent sales of Native Squares, we have just sent a further $10,000 to the project to support MMGB and the Kira community in continuing their conservation efforts on the ground. Together, we are not just protecting rainforest, we are building a new standard for how nature is valued, monitored, and sustained over the long term.