Drones have become an increasingly important tool for scientists who work on wildlife conservation. Much of what these scientists do happens in remote wilderness areas, or requires a "big picture look" at ecosystem. Other similar technology can include satellite images, camera traps, remote cameras and similar tools that capture photos and videos. In some cases, these tools help reduce the time spent in the field. The can also sometimes collect data with less human interference than traveling in forests, fields, deserts and on the ocean. In this activity, you can learn how using a drone can contribute to your own wildlife inquiries.
Grade Levels: 6-12 Timeline: 1-2 class periods, field work outside of class/home Materials: Drone with a camera ** Important! Ethical use of a drone is a must! Do NOT use a drone to photograph properties without permission! Do NOT harass the nest or resting places of wildlife! Do NOT approach endangered species without permits or legal authorization. This includes ALL birds of prey. Objectives:
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For the Teacher Grade Level: 6-12 Class Periods: 1-2, plus field time NGSS Standards Disciplinary Core Ideas Practices Croscutting Concepts |
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Many different wildlife studies use drones to help collect information, including several that are featured in Conservation Tales books! Manatees along the Gulf Coast, elephant and giraffes in Africa, macaw nests in Costa Rica, and many other animals have been studied using drone-generated pictures.
If you have a drone with a camera, you can use this practice of science! But remember, a drone pilot must follow the laws in your area, AND you have to follow even stricter ethical standards! Flying drones too close to wildlife can disrupt their normal activities, so we have to avoid harassing them! Dont' fly too close to nests, or to their roosts. Try not to cause them to leave the places where they are as you photograph them. Start farther away than necessary, and move closer with caution! You also have to make sure you are not flying over other people's property without permission. Drones for Studying Wildlife Images captured with drones can be useful to count populations of an animals, locate where the animals are as we track their movements, or look for signs of their activities. We can also look for damage or destruction of habitats. Researchers who study orangutans, for instance, use drones to photograph tree-top orangutan nests in the rain forests of Indonesia. These nests are sometimes 100 ft (30 m) above the forest floor, above some of the canopy branches. It is very difficult to see these from the ground, but a drone can spot them as they fly over. In the image to the right, you can see an individual nest. In other studies, researchers might use a drone to take many images over a large area. Computers then let them "stitch the images into collage that provides a wider photo of a habitat, like the one below! 
Stitched drome images in Indonesia. (Koh, 2012)
Taking Tree-Top Images
If you have your own drone, try your. hand at taking photos or video of a part of your local environment that can be hard to view from the ground - the top of a tree! If you've taken photos with a drone before, you know how your drone works. You probably also know that it takes some practice! Find a tree in an area where you have permission to fly your drone. Stay a good distance above the tree, and take some photos. If the trees are in a forest, it may be easiest to start with trees near the edge so you can see your drone. After the flight, look at the pictures on a computer. Use the largest monitor you can, and zoom in to see if you see signs of any wildlife. Create a Journal: Being a scientist means keeping organized records of evidence. In this activity, start a journal, either in a computer file or in a notepad or journal book. The image below is a template for organizing your observations, but you can modify this to suit your needs. Over time, you may able to find patterns. Do certain birds prefer to nest or feed in certain trees? How far apart do birds (or squirrels) nest from each other. What birds are likely to nest close to water? You can also aks your own questions! Be the scientist! Maybe sometime, this could become a career for you! 
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Drones used by scientists in Africa (Roest, 2013)
Orangutan nest in treetop (Koh, 2012)
Drone used in orangutan study (Koh, 2012)
Another wildlife drone (Cliffspiration, 2012)
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