Drones are a fantastic tool for environmental conservation because they can do things that are difficult or even dangerous for people to do. They help scientists and park rangers protect animals and their homes.

How Drones Help

• Counting Animals: It's hard to count every animal in a large area, like an entire forest or savanna. Drones can fly high above the ground and use special cameras to take pictures. Later, scientists can look at the photos to count the animals, which helps them know if a species is healthy or in danger. They can even use thermal cameras to find animals at night by sensing their body heat!
• Tracking Poachers: Drones are great for keeping animals like rhinos and elephants safe from poachers (people who hunt illegally). They can fly silently and use cameras to spot poachers from far away, even at night. This helps park rangers get to the area quickly and stop the illegal activity.
• Studying Habitats: Drones can take pictures of a large area all at once. Scientists use these pictures to create maps of habitats, like forests or wetlands. These maps show if a habitat is healthy, if trees are being cut down, or if an area is being polluted. This helps them decide what to do to protect the environment.
• Replanting Trees: Drones can be used to replant trees in areas that have been damaged by wildfires or logging. They can drop "seed balls" from the air that contain seeds, fertilizer, and other nutrients. This is much faster and more efficient than planting by hand, especially in remote or difficult-to-reach places.

Challenge: Find the animals

Your mission is to find all of the elephants on the map before the poachers do.

Your Goal: Guide the drone to hover above each of the elephants. Make sure to avoid the poachers, and then land on the square with an "H" to report which animals you found. Each square will give you one survey point. Once you have surveyed all spots then land at the target location. Some obstacles you can fly over if they are under 300 feet.