Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are a powerful tool for collecting detailed aerial imagery, including over large, remote, or inaccessible areas. Our UAV fleet currently operates with RGB cameras to capture high-resolution images, and is complemented with GNSS hardware to ensure the highest possible accuracy for image and data processing outputs. We can further process our UAV-captured imagery into detailed orthomosaics and 3D point clouds, forming the foundation for both 2D and 3D spatial analysis.
Operating as a Part 102 Certified entity under the New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), granting us greater autonomy to conduct complex UAV missions across Aotearoa, including Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations, flight over people in controlled settings, and operations in sensitive airspace. Our development of a comprehensive digital workflow using ArcGIS Survey123 also allows us to readily meet our CAA compliance requirements.
Our UAVs are powerful tools that not only capture aerial photos and video of your site, but also help with accurate aerial mapping, quantifying vegetation over/cover classes, monitoring change over time, and supporting a raft of other catchment management options. It’s an effective method to not only enhance data collection efforts, but to support proactive management strategies.
Aerial Mapping for Effective Willow ManagementHakataramea Sustainability Collective (HSC)
Braided rivers in New Zealand are unique ecosystems that support a diverse array of plant and animal species. However, introduced species such as willows can alter river morphology, outcompete native vegetation, and threaten their ecological function. This is the case for the Hakataramea River, a braided tributary of the Waitaki River that has extensive willow cover in its lower reaches.
To help the HSC with their braided river and willow management plan, we used high-resolution aerial mapping and spatial analysis to provide a critical monitoring baseline of aerial coverage of open braids and vegetation types. Using UAV technology, multi-day surveys were conducted over a section of the large braided river environment. The collected imagery was processed into sub-centimetre resolution orthomosaics, with spatial accuracy validated against survey-grade GNSS ground control points. Advanced analysis, including machine learning and image classification, was then applied to this data to extract quantitative metrics on invasive willow extent and classify key habitats. Our methodology has established a robust baseline for monitoring vegetation change, evaluating the effectiveness of willow control efforts, and informing adaptive management strategies for long-term ecological restoration.
Mudfish Habitat Development & RelocationEnvironment Canterbury
The Canterbury mudfish (kōwaro) is one of four fish species in New Zealand classified as ‘Threatened – Nationally Critical’, which is the highest threat classification for extant freshwater fish in the country. There was growing concern about the future of this species due to its highly fragmented population within an increasingly intensifying agricultural landscape. The Regional Council and other stakeholders committed to creating new habitat suitable for the introduction and protection of mudfish. Along with designing the physical environment and overseeing it’s construction, we used UAV surveys to assess changing habitat conditions to determine when they were sufficiently developed (composition and density) for the introduction of mudfish, providing the greatest chance for successful colonisation and thus contributing to the goal of saving this species from extinction.
