Reptile & Amphibian Ecology International (RAEI), a nonprofit conservation ecology organization, has announced an innovative program that puts used cameras and other equipment to work for promoting the science and art of biodiversity. In this program, RAEI accepts donations of all kinds of gear crucial to conservation ecology, from camera bodies and lenses to GPS units and even "snake hooks". The donated equipment is used by biologists and photographers in the field to document the diversity of life. Some of the gear is used by RAEI staff, but many of the recipients of the donated items are residents of impoverished regions in Ecuador, Mexico, and Cameroon.

"Biologists and guides working in poor nations often don't have the resources they need to work effectively", said Dr. Paul S. Hamilton, Executive Director of RAEI. This program will put cameras and other crucial tools in the hands of those that can use them best, and need them the most. The program works like this: residents of targeted study areas are chosen for their knowledge of ecosystems and abilities to conduct field work. They are then given basic gear like cameras, GPS units, snake hooks, and data sheets, along with training and a research manual. They are also taught the technical skills needed to take photos and field data, and given instructions on how to get their photos and data to biologists who can use them.