Representatives from government agencies and local organizations in St. Vincent and the Grenadines will participate in a one-week training program in the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles, also referred to as drones. The purpose of the training is to build local capacity to use drones for conservation purposes, such as monitoring wildlife and threats to biodiversity like fires, illegal harvest, and non-native mammals.
The training is being led by ConservationDrones, based out of the United Kingdom, and Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC), based in the United States. It will take place the week of September 14th on St. Vincent.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines provides crucial habitat for plants and animals, some of which are found nowhere else in the world. Some areas, such as the uninhabited islands of the Grenadines, are difficult to access yet are home to globally and regionally important seabird nesting colonies. Drones are a useful tool in monitoring remote and often inaccessible habitats from the air. Participants will be trained in safety guidelines including avoiding disturbing wildlife.
This project is made possible with support from the Bio-Bridge Program of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and U.S. Agency for International Development.
