Conservation Drones - 2015/04
by Heather R. Taft, Ph.D.
If you could fly a model aircraft anywhere, where would you take it? What would you want to see if you attached a camera to it? How about some wildlife — orangutans in a forest canopy, or a rhinoceros grazing on the savannah? Imagine using those images to monitor populations to help ensure the continued survival of endangered species.
The use of drones for research is a booming new field, and conservation biologists are beginning to discover the numerous ways drones can improve their work. Not only are they useful for monitoring populations in peril, they also help track poachers and deter illegal activities.
ConservationDrones.org
One nonprofit organization, ConservationDrones.org, has made a tremendous impact on promoting the use of drones for conservation. ConservationDrones.org was cofounded by Dr. Lian Pin Koh and Dr. Serge Wich in 2012.
These scientists:
- use drones for their own research,
- share their drone designs with others,
- build drones for other conservation organizations, and
- teach people how to use them.
They love their work. Getting to integrate a favorite hobby into everyday work doesn't often happen.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
