Drones for Conservation - Field Guide for Photographers, Researchers, Conservationists and Archaeologists: Environmental Conservation & Heritage Preservation

Drones for Conservation - Field Guide for Photographers, Researchers, Conservationists and Archaeologists: Environmental Conservation & Heritage Preservation

The pace of technological change is breathtaking. Current cell phones have the<br />capacity that main frame computers did when I was a graduate student. Molecular<br />biology uses technology that changes on almost a daily basis.<br /><br />And now drones are upon us. Their ubiquity and uses proliferate faster than<br />needed good sense of where they are appropriate and when not. But what about<br />clear positives, like aiding conservation?<br /><br /><b>Drones for Conservation</b> is essentially just in its infancy, but while we can lament<br />the possible consequent avoidance of a good slog of a field study, we can already<br />see multiple benefits falling from the skies as it were. Yes there are insights that<br />can only come from careful on the ground field research, but the ability of drones<br />to soar over the conservation priority at hand is rapidly empowering conservation<br />and conservation science.<br /><br />Kike Calvo, a highly talented National Geographic Creative photographer and<br />conservationist, had the prescience to understand the potential of drones. And much<br />as the photographer that he is likes to share his images, Kike as a conservationist,<br />has generously created this book to share some early and great examples in which<br />conservation has benefited from this 21<span>st </span>century emerging technology.<br /><br />So Drones for Conservation is very much a first. With actual examples from around<br />the world, it also has very practical sections on how to use drones effectively - as<br />usual there is never a substitute for carefully thinking out a project in advance.<br />This comes at a time when the pressure on nature and biological diversity is<br />unprecedented, and, unfortunately, accelerating. So anything technology can do<br />to make the collective conservation enterprise more effective is highly welcome<br />and will benefit future generations.<br /><br />The conservation and science conservation community owe a debt of gratitude<br />for this energetic young photographer and conservationist. Knowing him, the<br />preferred form of payment is in conservation and science.<br /><br /><b>Thomas E. Lovejoy</b><br /><b>University Professor of Environmental Science and Policy</b><br /><b>George Mason University</b><br /><b>National Geographic Conservation Fellow</b>