With all Frontera staff being certified basic UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle, or drone) pilots at minimum, drones are a key aspect of our fieldwork; available for use at any time for any project. UAV allows us to capture high-quality photos that help us better understand the forest types and identify problem points within the forest. 

Derek and Zoltan, our advanced UAV pilots, have the capacity to expand upon our use of drones greatly, advancing our outputs and developing highly effective tools as a result of our fieldwork.

Image captured of Chittenden Meadows following a prescribed burn. By using drones, we are able to develop orthomosaics, which involve capturing images at a 90-degree angle looking downwards, then compiling those photos in a mosaic to create a high-resolution image of the larger area. This technique allows our team to view and analyze all of the necessary details of a wide area while maintaining high-quality reliable visuals.

Why does this innovation matter?

Using georeferencing, photographs are associated with their corresponding coordinates, which can then be turned into georeferenced maps in which the map's features match the real-world data. This helps to maintain accuracy when it comes to the constantly changing environment.