Incorporating the machines into today’s prescribed fires is helping crews burn larger areas more efficiently and improve monitoring of conditions in real-time. They can also help keep team members out of harm’s way. Clint Harris, manager of resilient forests for TNC in Arkansas, says they have been using two drones: a thermal/ high-resolution drone for mapping and another that can ignite fires. Harris says they use them only in certain situations. The machines take time to set up and there can be range issues for the ignition drone, but in the right situation, they’ve quickly become a valuable tool for crews on the ground. Rather than hiking for miles in full gear through rough terrain to ignite fires from drip torches, teams can send in
a fire drone to light precisely targeted areas remotely. That can decrease a crew’s time in the interior and reduce the risk of exhaustion and injury. That’s especially important on hot summer days when the heat can take a toll on team members. “We are really just starting to see some of the ways the technology can help us achieve our goals.” The mapping drone’s thermal capabilities give operators the ability to keep an eye on fire lines and shifting conditions. It also makes it easier to see what’s happening to the landscape as a result of their work.
“The mapping drone will be an invaluable tool in the future,” Harris says. “Observing overstory scorch and treatments within the prairie restorations and hard-to-reach areas has been great.” They are still testing and adjusting, making plans for upgrades. True of any tool, drones have limitations, Harris adds. But the upside is high. Like Perkins at Dunn Ranch Prairie, ocean scientists in California or any of the others working across TNC, he sees vast opportunities for technology that magnifies our ability to achieve the Conservancy’s mission. The sky is wide open.
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THIS PAGE BOTTOM Drone exploration at Medano-Zapata Ranch in the San Luis Valley, Colorado. © Caitlin Fullam/TNC
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