Analyzing Dutch Elm Disease

July 2026

At a TNC preserve in Benson, Vermont, over 5,300 American elms, bred from disease-survivor trees across New England, are being tested for resistance to Dutch elm disease as part of a decade-long breeding partnership between The Nature Conservancy and the U.S. Forest Service. In late May 2026, researchers began inoculating the young elms with Dutch elm disease spores; the trees that survive over the coming months will be propagated to build a genetically diverse population of disease-tolerant elms to restore floodplains and streets across New England. I flew an aerial mapping drone equipped with LiDAR over the site three weeks post-inoculation to capture an early baseline of tree health and canopy structure, producing imagery and data for both TNC's science team and public-facing outreach.

I collected aerial imagery and LiDAR point cloud data over the elm plantation, then processed the dataset in Agisoft Metashape to generate a digital surface model (DSM), an orthomosaic image, an NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) layer to assess plant health, and a classified LiDAR point cloud referenced to ground control points to calculate individual tree canopy height. In the NDVI output, yellow and orange tones indicate healthier vegetation, while green and blue tones flag trees that are struggling.

The processed outputs provide a georeferenced, three-week post-inoculation baseline of the plantation, capturing canopy height and vegetation health across the full site at a resolution not achievable from the ground. Because disease response in elms can take weeks to months to appear, this dataset establishes an early benchmark that the science team can compare against future drone flights to track canopy decline or survival as the trial progresses. The imagery and video also support TNC's outreach efforts, documenting the scale and setting of the breeding program for public storytelling.

Tracking Peatland Encroachment

July 2026

Chickering Bog, a Nature Conservancy preserve in Calais, Vermont, is one of the state's largest and best examples of a rich fen peatland. Peatlands are highly sensitive to climate change, as shifting hydrology and warming temperatures can accelerate forest encroachment into the open wetland, gradually shrinking the fen. I flew an aerial mapping drone over the site to establish the first baseline dataset tracking this encroachment, an effort TNC plans to repeat every 10 years.

As trees and shrubs encroach on open peatland, the fen loses the hydrological and light conditions its rare plant species depend on. A precise, repeatable baseline gives TNC's science team a reliable way to detect and quantify this shift over decades, informing whether active management may be needed to preserve the fen's ecological character.

I flew the drone over Chickering Bog to collect high-resolution imagery and LiDAR point cloud data, then processed it in Agisoft Metashape to generate a digital surface model (DSM), an orthomosaic image, and a classified LiDAR elevation surface referenced to ground control points, distinguishing the open fen surface from the surrounding forest canopy.

The dataset provides the first georeferenced baseline of Chickering Bog's peatland extent and forest edge. Future drone surveys every 10 years will allow TNC to compare the fen's boundary over time and quantify the rate of forest encroachment, turning this initial flight into the start of a long-term climate monitoring record.

Examining Wildlife Linkages Crossing Highways

July 2026

Route 7 cuts directly through the Pomainville Wildlife Management Area, a large floodplain along Otter Creek near Pittsford, Vermont, creating a dangerous barrier between the WMA and the surrounding habitat and waterways it connects to. Using a standard camera drone, I captured photos of the roadway, the culvert, the surrounding terrain, and the river the passage leads out to, along with a continuous video flyover of the entire wildlife crossing corridor.

This imagery will be used in a StoryMap produced by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department to communicate to both government stakeholders and the public why the existing culvert needs to be expanded to allow wildlife to safely cross underneath Route 7. Undersized culverts like this one restrict wildlife movement and increase roadkill risk, and clear aerial documentation helps non-technical audiences grasp the physical constraints of the current infrastructure, and the case for expansion, in a way ground-level photos alone can't fully convey.