Collecting data is easy; creating impact from it is much harder. This talk explores how starting with “why?” can turn a routine monitoring project into one that drives genuine action.

Using an example of an in-house custom database, to store environmental DNA (eDNA) data, I’ll outline how we developed a platform that not only stores monitoring results but also supports real-world decision-making. The project began with building a simple database and an internal web app, “Easy-eDNA”, that allowed users to view and download results.
Easy-eDNA became a key tool for general species reporting to other council teams, and we also added a pest animal and pest plant species detector. This detector automatically alerts the pest team at Horizons Regional Council when a species in our Regional Pest Management Plan is detected. The automation added has led to rapid responses from the team, with establishment of new monitoring sites in high-risk areas and targeted public awareness campaigns in local communities.

The real story, though, lies in the process — building relationships to understand user frustrations with the existing system, maintaining open communication and iteration to refine ideas, embedding monitoring and feedback to stay responsive, and remembering that documentation is a key part of any project. Staying flexible and collaborative meant we could pivot as new needs emerged, ensuring the final system was not only functional but genuinely useful and trusted.