SargAdapt Good Practice Guide - Volume One
Enrollment will not be restricted to those with previous drone mapping experience
Although enrollment is not restricted to those with previous drone mapping experience - it will be essential for those wishing to take part in the drone flying aspects of the training. Teams will be comprised of:
persons located in Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia or St. Vincent & the Grenadines
have national experience participating in sargassum monitoring, management or research initiatives
have access to a mapping drone, hold a valid UAS license, can fulfill all drone flight requirements in their country and follow safety procedures
have been previously trained by Dr. Kim Baldwin in drone mapping surveys & use of drone photogrammetry software (or can show extensive experience flying drones & conducting drone mapping) as a prerequisite for those taking part in the drone aspects of the training
SargAdapt Project under the CBF Grant 2019-2022
Sargassum Monitoring Protocol Drone Training Course
No unfortunately this first training cohort will be limited to 50 participants who are located in the SargAdapt Project countries of Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines. See our prerequisite list below. Please register if interested and we will inform those of you accepted into this first training cohort by the end of June. We will also let everyone registered know when we will plan on launching the next course.
Enrollment is not restricted to those with previous drone mapping experience BUT priority for enrollment in the first training cohort (late July 2022) under the SargAdapt Project will be offered free of charge to participants: located in Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia or St. Vincent & the Grenadines; can show national experience with sargassum monitoring or management; hold a valid UAS license in their country; have access to a mapping drone and have been previously trained by Dr. Kim Baldwin in drone mapping surveys & photogrammetry software (or can show extensive experience flying drones & conducting drone mapping) as prerequisite for those wishing to take part in the drone aspects of the training.
Yes at least one member of each team needs to have a mapping drone, legally licensed to fly and has been previously trained to fly safely and knows process/can obtain any government approvals for flight that may be required. If you are interested please just register above & we will coordinate groups for each project country and inform you once we see who enrolls, resources, etc.
Absolutely! The course will be delivered virtually over a month and includes a variety of self-paced multi-media lessons & supporting learning resources along with weekly live Zoom sessions delivered via the Training Academy. Weekly lessons will be supplemented with corresponding practical work (both in-field beach surveys & computer-based). Participants should be willing to dedicate 2 days/week over month of this course and will need to arrange their own transportation to/from the monitoring beach.
Since all drone pilots participating are experienced flyers and have previously conducted drone mapping surveys we will not be discussing how fly drones or use drone mapping software. Trainees will learn how to develop beach monitoring site including supporting drone flight plans and beach field-surveys as well as how to handle, process and use this data to map and estimate the abundance of stranded sargassum.
No worries - the next training cohort will be available to anyone who wants to learn how to conduct the Sargassum Monitoring Protocol (drone & beach surveys). Subsequent virtual and in-person trainings maybe offered later this summer for a fee and will depend on demand. Feel free to register above and we will be sure to let you when more information is available.
Instructor Bio
Throughout my career, I have trained hundreds of individuals and large organizations across the Caribbean and California in safely flying drones, undertaking commercial operations, and implementing mapping and monitoring strategies. By equipping them with the necessary skills, they are able to collect, analyze, and widely share environmental information, ultimately improving collaborative environmental management.
Over the years, I have refined my stakeholder engagement and mapping techniques, and I am excited to teach you a straightforward approach that can be easily applied to any industry-specific environmental application. Whether you are an individual, organization, or industry, I am here to help you leverage technology and improve your approach to environmental management. Together, we can make a positive impact in our world!
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