TF students learn geospatial skills

Summer camp often makes one think of swimming and hiking at a location away from home. But this science camp took place on the Thompson Falls High School campus. Science teacher Doree Thilmony said her school applied for and received funding for the camp held last week in her classroom. "The camp covered geospatial skills such as interpreting maps, using data to make maps, using technology to record data for mapping and careers for Geological Information Systems, GIS," Thilmony said.

Twelve students from junior high and high school learned about navigating a software program called arcGIS that creates layers of information and data to help interpret and understand weather patterns on a map and other factors of regions such as socioeconomics, health, and other data that tells the story of the area. They were given sensors to go outside to collect their own data to map in the arcGIS system.

On Wednesday, the students had a live guest from the Idaho Forest Group, Rory McClenagan. He brought his drone to demonstrate how this model can pick up heat sources, which he said helps detect possible fire danger in a mill. The drones do kestrel measurements for particulates in the air. Cell phone apps are used for graphing fire and weather. Different drones are used for specific jobs, McClenagan said. He uses them for existing lumber mills for heat detection and for mapping out a possible new mill location like the one his company wants to build in Mississippi. The maps created by the data collected can show land ownership and all the factors of plant species and sizes. They give climate and weather information. "Drones and GIS are tightly tied together," McClenagan said. A 'wood basket' image is created to show all the layers of analysis to help make decisions regarding the building of a new mill, including tree growth in the area, availability of trees, land ownership for purchasing timber, etc. AI is used for remote sensing in the forest. Satellite images on the ground give the layered information.

Other details include tree harvesting footprints, the average tracking mileage report to tell how far the proposed logged area is from the mill. This tells if it is cost effective per distance.

The fixed wing Wingtra One has straight vertical takeoff and landing capability. It can carry a big heavy camera, according to McClenagan, and can fly 400 feet up in the air. "It is more efficient than a helicopter and uses less surface area, covering 1,000 acres in half an hour.

The Phantom drone is a quad copter used in smaller spaces and inside buildings and mill yards. The Phantom can take videos of water quality, check out equipment during active logging and can go where it isn't safe for humans, such as heated areas. McClenagan demonstrated the Phantom for camp students. "This is the first time that it has malfunctioned for me in ten years," he said. The drone stayed suspended in the air and would not move or turn off. McClenagan had to climb on a chair to carefully grab it and turn it off manually.

Another use for the imaging from drones is called photogrammetry. It takes stereo vision multiple overlapping images. For lumberyard photos it can produce 3D models to show lumber volumes in the stacks to give total counts of logs in the yard. It can also be used to make 4D pictures by moving around residual wood piles of sawdust and chips. The cubic feet of each pile is stitched into 3D models. Videography is used to display forest health, fire regions and regrowth areas.

Lidar is radar with light wave echolocation. This is used to determine the height of the trees. Geiger Lidar is an advanced ability to see light through photon particles. Sensors can detect photons to see through trees. Originally this was used by the military. This is a fast and efficient way to get price estimations of tree stands in small plot samples.

The maps created by these images have final information for the forests as well. This gives accurate information in creating contracts with businesses that can include bidding costs. Students in the camp were able to make their own maps. They also did an activity with ATMOtube. They tested atmospheric particulates in the air and collected data. They tested an orange and Lysol spray.

Thilmony said the last day of camp was filled with building their own sensor to collect data and programming it. The data and mapping created a clear picture of the surrounding forest and the collective attributes that can lead to possible scenarios for forest fires. "The students learned skills for GIS careers as it is used in many jobs. They were given tools to guide them in upcoming summer research opportunities. Students can get their FAA Part 107 Certification to fly drones to collect data or go out on their own to collect data for mapping in programs like arcGIS. These jobs hire students at age 16 and above, paying as much as $900 a week," Thilmony concluded.