Course, Course
Publié : 1 June 2026
I Mis à jour : 19 December 2025
[FRB-CESAB] AI for ecologists: a toolkit – 2026
![[FRB-CESAB] AI for ecologists: a toolkit – 2026](https://www.fondationbiodiversite.fr/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/logo_formation_ia_Cesab.png){kind=logo}
The Cesab – Centre for the Synthesis and Analysis of Biodiversity – of the FRB is opening the second edition of the training course «Artifical Intelligence for ecologists: a toolkit». This five-day training course aims to initiate ecologists to AI concepts and tools. The course will be a mix of lectures and hands-on practice based on different data types commonly encountered in ecology. The main objective of the course is to give to the participants the autonomy that will allow them to assess which algorithms are most adapted to their own research questions, where to find them and how to adjust them to the desired question.
The training course is in English. The 2025 session will take place from the 1rst to the 5th of June 2026 at the CESAB in Montpellier. The price is 250 € for the week, including lunches. Travel, accommodation and evening meals are at the expense of the participants.
You must have a strong programming background, at least in R.
Familiarity with Python is preferred, but not mandatory.
Pre-register to the 2026 session
You must have a strong programming background, at least in R.
Familiarity with Python is preferred, but not mandatory. In fact, to make sure that we all start on similar bases, we require that you follow these tutorials before attending the training course. We will not control whether you followed the tutorial, but trust that you will to collectively ensure the group has a common base to start from.
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The FRB offers 4 scholarships of 250 euros each, which will cover the full registration fees. These scholarships are intended to support individuals who do not receive any institutional support (e.g., funding from their laboratory, research team, etc.) and who are unable to cover the registration fees with their own funds. We fully trust each applicant to assess their situation and apply for a scholarship only if necessary. The selection of participants will be carried out independently of the scholarship applications. Once this selection is made, the scholarships will be awarded by a random draw among the selected participants who have expressed a need for financial assistance.
Learn more about the tutorial
Under the “Learn the basics”, please go through all the following pages:
- Hello, World!
- Variables and Types Lists
- Basic Operators
- String Formatting
- Basic String Operations
- Conditions
- Loops
- Functions
- Classes and Objects
- Dictionaries
- Modules and Packages
- Input and Output
Each section allows you to interact with a built-in Python console where you can copy/paste and edit the commands. The sections end with a small exercise, which we recommend you do. You may navigate from one section to the other by clicking on the “next tutorial” button (you don’t have to take the test – but are welcome to if you enjoy it).
Find the training course on GitHub
List of speakers (in alphabetical order) :
- Léo BLONDEL (Founder of the alien.club)
- Camille COUX (FRB-CESAB)
- Romain FRELAT (FRB-CESAB)
- Dimitri JUSTEAU-ALLAIRE (IRD, AMAP)
- Maximillien SERVAJEAN (LIRMM)
- Paul TRESSON (IRD, AMAP)
- Sonia MAI TIEO (Laboratoire d’Ecologie Systématique & Evolution de l’Université Paris-Saclay)
Program
Monday – 9:00 am: Introduction
- Presentation of the course and speakers
- Introduction to AI: historical background
- Introduction to Python environment and tools
- Data science in Python
Tuesday – Machine learning 1
- Linear and general regression : from a ML perspective
- Random forest and K-means
- Practical concepts and practice
Wednesday – Machine learning 2
- Dataset selection
- Supervised learning
- Unsupervised learning
- Dimensionality reduction
Thursday – Deep learning
- DL concepts
- Practices with PlantNet
Friday – Symbolic AI
- Introduction
- Practice: Designing protected areas in New Caledonia
- Practice: Crop rotation planning
- Feedback time and conclusion