The idea for EcoHawk was inspired by its founder’s direct experience with the hiring challenges of small and medium sized land trusts. Volunteering as a land trust committee member and steward, EcoHawk principal, Chris Ring, experienced the debates over hiring staff with a limited budget. Rather than committing to full or part-time staff, Eco Hawk gives land trusts the financial freedom to hire for projects, a la carte.
Chris Ring, received a Master’s Degree in Sustainable Natural Resource Management from Unity College in Maine. Chris most recently worked for the Forest Society of New Hampshire monitoring conservation easement lands, including agricultural properties and active timber-lands up to 4,000 acres in size. Chris got his start in conservation at Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve in Wells as a stewardship intern and the following summer worked there as a research technician. During his master’s degree coursework, Chris read numerous research papers highlighting the useful, high quality data that could be achieved with aerial imaging tools. While interning at the Wells Reserve he helped develop the reserve’s first program in drone based NDVI (normalized differentiated vegetation index), utilizing NIR (near infrared) sensors and advance data analysis software. Chris actively works to support the mission of his local land trust, monitoring lands and helping with trail building.
UAV’s [drones] offer a cost effective, flexible approach… to provide the finer spatial resolution needed to adequately identify and measure ecosystem change.
Cheryl L. Doughty and Kyke C. Cavanaugh, Department of Geography, University of California
Experience the benefits of aerial imagery.
- Leaf off
- Leaf Out
- Peak Green
- High water / Low water
- Post burn / rehab / restoration
- Seasonal events
- Natural “disasters”
On The Ground Partners
- Land Trusts
- Watershed coucils
- Environmental consultants
- Municipalities
- Non-profits
- Reserves / parks/
- Foresters
ecohawks.com 