Lessons Learned
Funding provided by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund helped LightHawk, a volunteer pilot–based organization, to protect biodiversity in the Selva Maya and Selva Zoque Corridors in Northern Mesoamerica by enabling them to collaborate with key conservation partners in Belize, Guatemala and Mexico.
Armando J. Ubeda, Mesoamerica Program Manager, LightHawk
What was the most important lesson learned?
Making sure our partners are prepared for their flight with LightHawk by having clear and measurable objectives improves the outcomes of the environmental overflights.
Describe how you learned this and whether / how you have adapted your approach or specific project elements as a result.
When used correctly, aerial overflights are an amazing tool for conservation, allowing a perspective, efficiency, and utility that are unique. Environmental overflights are most effective when partners are properly prepared.
Preparation involves having clear and measurable objectives for the flight, having a pre-set route especially with specific geographic coordinates, utilizing a digital camera to record visual information, and educating all passengers as to the route and their role in supporting the objectives of the flight.
Partners that took advantage of pre-flight information gathering and educating the passengers as to the route and goals of the flight appeared to get more out of the flights. Partners that had previous experience using flight as a conservation tool were generally more prepared.
Even though we try to communicate the importance of preparation to new partners, some partners do not have the experience necessary to be able to utilize flights to their fullest extent. We will continue to improve our communication with both new and previous partners to help them enhance their utilization of flight as a conservation tool.
Finally, not all groups had a digital camera to be able to record visual data. We recognize that while flights are important, documenting the flight through photography allows our partners to continue using the information after the flights are over. Photographs are useful for capturing information, communicating results to others, and short and long-term comparison and monitoring of landscapes or ecological features.
Next year, LightHawk will provide a digital camera to partners that do not have one so that all partners can take full advantage of this important communication and research tool.
- February 23, 2009
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