EP Consulting

We are an environmental data science consulting group based in Brisbane, Australia providing personalised services to local, national, and international government agencies, industry, NGOs and community groups involved in natural resource management, biodiversity conservation, environmental monitoring and ecosystem health assessment, and resilience planning.

Our deep understanding of natural, agricultural, and urban ecosystems provides a strong foundation for our data science, ensuring that the analytical questions we ask and methods we choose deliver understandable, meaningful and actionable insights for our clients.

WHAT WE DO

Strategic Advice

Are you excited about the potential benefits of data and data analytics, but unsure where to start? If so, you're not alone.
We work closely with clients to identify well-defined analytical problems that deliver actionable insights to their organisation and stakeholders. For larger groups, we can engage through on-site and remote workshops, undertake targeted interviews, design surveys and synthesise feedback into clear recommendations - ensuring a clear path to impact.
We often review data, provide advice about data acquisition and storage formats, narrow down the most promising analytical approaches for a specific question, and provide pragmatic recommendations about data science investments likely to provide the greatest benefits.

Innovative Data Sources

When it comes to data, we think outside the box; often looking for new ways to obtain, combine, and learn more from diverse data sources, with varying levels of quality.
We have the data wrangling skills needed to combine traditional field data and stakeholder surveys, data collected using new technologies such as images and video, real-time data from in-situ sensors, remote sensing, and crowd-sourced data and the analytical skills to do it in a scientifically rigorous manner.

Space-Time Analytics & Mapping

We use state of the art space-time analytics to gain timely insights about natural, urban, and agricultural ecosystems at scales relevant for management. We use our skills to understand the relative influence of key pressures on organisms, communities and ecosystems; assess short and long term trends; turn data into predictive maps of critical habitat characteristics, species distributions, and abundance estimates under current and future climate scenarios; forecast agricultural pests in near-real time for targeted pest management; and identify when and where management actions will likely produce the most desirable outcomes.

Monitoring Program Design, Assessment, & Reporting

We have expertise in all aspects of freshwater, marine, and terrestrial monitoring program design, indicator development, assessment, and reporting. We can design a program from the ground up that includes both data and modelled outputs, provide strategic advice about specific components of the design, and/or review an existing program. We can create dashboards and ecosystem health report cards to ensure outcomes are communicated effectively and get the attention they deserve.

Sustainability Reporting & Social License to Operate

Environmental, social and economic sustainability reporting is increasingly being viewed as a cost of doing business in agriculture. We work with organisations to design and implement simple, yet scientifically robust frameworks that meet the unique needs of an industry-based assessment.
This includes advice on cost-effective data collection strategies, indicators linking industry-specific priority issues to best management practices, and communication products that build and strengthen social licence to operate.

Scientific Programming & Tool Development

The GIS and statistical software tools we develop empower clients to quickly implement sophisticated data science solutions. We can also create tutorials, with example datasets and relevant case studies described in plain English, to ensure that new methods are easily integrated into your organisation's standard workflow and commercial products.

Training

Would your team like to upskill in R, ArcGIS, GRASS, QGIS, but can't find the time to do it on your own? We're here to help. We'll work with you to develop customised short courses ranging from 3 hours to 3-days, focusing on your team's specific learning needs.