Welcome to the nature data newsletter. Each month, we share insights with data enthusiasts, GIS experts, and investors learning about nature data.
We envision a world where nature data improves the way we understand and value nature. This future drives Cecil's mission to make nature data accessible.
Over the past six months, we've explored the technical, scientific, and commercial challenges of accessing nature data. This edition summarises these accessibility barriers and explains Cecil's approach to addressing them.
We're also excited to give our subscribers the first look at Cecil documentation. Get in touch if you want to join our Early Access Program (EAP).
Why is nature data hard to access?
Finding & selecting datasets
With thousands of nature datasets available, teams struggle to "choose a dataset that meets the right criteria to support an analysis workflow." Documentation gaps prevent users from understanding methodologies, ground truth locations, sensor bias corrections, and NoData handling.
Users cannot reliably evaluate tradeoffs between datasets, often spending weeks gathering information from websites, documents, papers, and direct provider contact before beginning analysis.
Integrating and preparing datasets
Building integrations for nature datasets is costly and time-intensive. Each integration requires managing thousands of files, unpacking, processing, and incorporating outputs into internal infrastructure.
The lack of standardization across datasets—measurement units, spatial resolution, coordinate reference systems, bounding boxes—prevents scalable solutions. Teams waste months cleaning and harmonizing data before analysis begins.
Navigating commercial agreements and usage rights
Data providers employ varied business models with different usage rights, making it difficult to understand application scope and total costs. Many providers require minimum spending thresholds, creating prohibitive expenses for teams needing small data amounts.
These barriers collectively hinder teams seeking to understand, account for, and value nature properly.
Introducing Cecil
Cecil's data platform makes "nature data consistent, accessible, and ready for analysis" through acquisition, preparation using preferred coordinate reference systems and spatial resolution, and secure access connecting datasets to workflows.
Curated datasets
Cecil identifies core scientific concepts representing nature, determines effective measurement variables and technologies, and curates multiple datasets to baseline and track change. Currently supporting plant biomass datasets, with land use, land cover, and deforestation planned.
Analysis ready
Access nature data in consistent formats across providers. Cecil's API allows acquiring datasets from multiple providers, configurable to preferred coordinate reference systems and spatial resolution. The platform manages file processing, delivers data to analysis-optimized databases, and securely connects programming languages and tools like Python, R, GIS, and BI platforms.
One stop for access
Build using Cecil with one contract, one integration, and no minimum usage requirements. Cecil partners with leading data providers to streamline contracting, compliance, integrations, and support.
Notices
Events include London's nature data community gathering September 18th, Cecil + The Landbanking Group breakfast during New York Climate Week on September 26th, Cecil + Earthmover community event September 26th, Chloris Geospatial breakfast during Climate Week, and Kanop's pickleball and networking event.