Eric Becker

Eric Becker joined WWF in 2015 and is now Lead Conservation Engineer. He designs, builds, and deploys technology systems that help rangers and law enforcement detect and stop wildlife crime. His work focuses on adapting advanced sensing techniques from the defense and aerospace sectors into rugged, low-cost systems that conservation programs can afford to deploy and maintain in the field.

Eric leads the technical work for Kifaru Rising, a collaboration with FLIR that since 2015 has used thermal cameras and artificial intelligence to help rangers detect poachers in protected areas. He also leads the technical side of the Cisco Connected Conservation effort, designing and commissioning the resilient communications networks these systems depend on. He is currently developing a drone-mounted radar to locate illegal wire snares, so rangers can go straight to them instead of searching on foot. Through AirTraceK9, a 2026 WILDLABS award winner sponsored by Arm, he is also building a low-cost smart air sampler. It lets detection dog teams screen sealed shipping containers for trafficked wildlife at seaports such as Cape Town. He works closely with rangers, enforcement agencies, technology companies, and researchers to move these tools from prototype to everyday use.

Eric brings nearly 20 years of engineering experience to WWF. Before joining, he worked as an engineering contractor for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Air Force Research Laboratory, and the Special Forces. There he developed micro air vehicles, small unmanned aircraft, satellite trackers, and radio communications systems. As a student at the University of West Florida, he competed in the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International's student UAV competition, where his team flew the competition's first fully autonomous flight.

Education

• University of West Florida

Areas of Expertise

• Computer software development
• Microprocessor-based systems
• Wireless sensor networks
• Digital and analog circuit design
• Unmanned systems development (air, surface, ground)