High-Flying Tools for Restoration

How drones are driving BCI’s restoration efforts in Gila National Forest and beyond

By Lindsay Lee Wallace

When the Black Fire tore through New Mexico’s Gila National Forest in 2022, it turned over 325,000 acres to ash. The area’s riparian zones, which served as a crucial source of water and forage for the more than two dozen bat species that call the forest home, were severely damaged. Bat Conservation International (BCI)’s and the Gila National Forest are now partnering to restore the land and build resiliency in the affected watersheds, using BCI’s newly acquired drone fleet.

By soaring solo and nearly silently above the land, drones can save time and resources over a team of humans trekking out to gather data. They can also gather a greater volume and breadth of data than human scouts are able to discern with the naked eye without disrupting the environment on the ground. This light touch is especially valuable when it comes to projects taking place on already fragile land, like BCI’s restoration work in the Gila National Forest.

Bianca Signorini launches a drone in Oregon.

Video: Rachel Harper

Leveraging drone technology for conservation

As BCI’s GIS Analyst and UAS Pilot Lead, Bianca Signorini not only pilots drones but also helps design plans that leverage their capabilities to support BCI’s conservation and restoration efforts. “In many ways, drones actually reduce our impact on the landscape,” Signorini says.

The team uses the data the drones collect to create maps and monitor the progress of restoration efforts. Once programmed, the drones fly themselves up and down a selected area in a pattern similar to a lawnmower’s path across a field, taking photos at regular intervals and mapping up to 300 acres in a single 45- to 60-minute flight. The photos are then stitched together to construct a detailed 3D rendering of the ground below, a process called photogrammetry. The drones can also be outfitted with light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors, which provide highly detailed information about the landscape, and multispectral cameras that document vegetation health by capturing nuanced variations in color.

“In many ways, drones actually reduce our impact on the landscape.”
—Bianca Signorini

In the Gila National Forest, drones help the team monitor the “green line” to see how far riparian areas are reaching as they recover.

The future of restoration

Signorini hopes increased education and technological advancements will further hone the use of drones in restoration. When it comes to flying drones in bat habitats, Signorini says she avoids the dusk and nighttime hours bats favor for out-flights and keeps in mind the bats’ particular sensitivity to noise. In general, she says proper drone use should always be “delicate and respectful to wildlife.”

At present, drone capabilities will be essential in the Gila for efficiently allowing the team to monitor the “green line”—how far riparian areas are reaching as they recover. This helps them determine how quickly the land is regenerating and decide how to adjust and direct their next efforts as BCI continues working to restore the forest.

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