The Sky's the Limit: Using Drones for Environmental Education Seth Engelbourg Naturalist Educator and Program Manager Linda Loring Nature Foundation

Transcription

1 The Sky's the Limit: Using Drones for Environmental Education Seth Engelbourg Naturalist Educator and Program Manager Linda Loring Nature Foundation

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3 Uses of Drones Aerial Photography/Cinematography Real Estate Surveying Construction Package Delivery Firefighting Environmental Monitoring Police Agriculture Search and Rescue Recreation

4 Benefits of Drones for Aerial Imagery + Flown on demand + Extremely high resolution + Cheaper than airplane-based sensing + Multiple fly-overs: space-time trends - Sensors limited by weight, cost, other logistics - Wildlife, human interference, seasonality concerns

5 Markowitz, Danylchuk, Nisbet, & Engelbourg, 2017

6 Involving Students

7 Trillium Learning s Tsunami Debris Project

8 Train to Fly Trillium Learning UAS Scientific Applications Curriculum 8 Levels using different aircraft, challenges, missions Levels 1-4 Level 5 Levels 6-8 Trainer drones up to beginning First Person View piloting Entry-level professional with GPS, HD cameras, gimbal stabilization systems, software mission programming, and FPV Highest-end imaging platforms with next-generation sensing equipment: dslr cameras, LiDAR, spectral filter thermal cameras, NDVI

9 Syma X5SW FPV Training Demo

10 Learn Rules for Safe Drone Flying 1. DO NOT fly higher than 400 feet 2. MAINTAIN visual line of sight 3. DO NOT fly directly over people 4. CONTACT and receive permission to fly from all potential stakeholders 5. DO NOT fly within 5 miles of any airport without authorization; coordinate with radio control tower before, during, and after flight ASSESS wildlife and ecological concerns by conducting a biological opinion assessment, in order to minimize risk For more information visit: knowbeforeyoufly.org or the B4UFLY App

11 Acquire Proper Authorization If you wish to fly drones for business, research, education, or any other nonrecreational reasons, you MUST receive authorization under Part 107 of the Small UAS Rule. Requires taking a knowledge test and vetting by TSA

12 Plan Mission

13 Fly Survey

14 Take Aerial Photos

15 Construct 2D Orthomosaic Example UCF Arboretum Acres 13,454 x 15,041 pixel TIFF Resolution: 2.14 cm pixel size True Color RGB Trillium Learning & UMass Amherst

16 Long Pond 1 Define appropriate datum (e.g., WGS84) and projection (e.g., UTM 17N) Ready for analysis in GIS!

17 The Brickyard, Westfield MA Trillium s DJI Inspire 1

18 GIS Image Interpretation Water Chestnut (Trapa natans)

19 Results for Water Chestnut (Trapa natans) Red areas: Definite, Yellow areas: Possible

20 GPS Centroid Points for Pulls

21 GPS Tracking for Pulls

22 Nantucket Surveys for Phragmites November 2016 Long Pond 2 Hummock Pond 4 Miacomet Pond 2

23 Classroom Educational Programs Nantucket Lighthouse School 5 th Grade Nantucket High School AP Environmental Science

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25 Nantucket Flying Association June 2017 Presentation on drone aeronautics and flight demonstration for aviation campers

26 Saltmarsh Center September 2017 Presentation on using drones for environmental surveying and flight demonstration for seniors

27 Public Outreach for Drone Education Presentations LLNF Science Picnic, 2017 Maria Mitchell Association Speaker Series, 2016 National Wildlife Refuge System Region 6 Conference, 2016 MA Envirothon, 2015 Writing What's That Buzzing Noise? Public Opinion on the Use of Drones for Conservation Science (Markowitz, Danylchuk, Nisbet, & Engelbourg, 2017) Local and regional news articles Social media

28 Partners

29 Thank You! Questions?

30 DJI Phantom 4 Pro Demo