In June 2017, Kashmir World Foundation (KwF) and Georgia Southern University Sea Turtle Program at St. Catherines Island (GSUSTP@SCI) announced a partnership with a mission to collaborate on developing emerging technology solutions to real-world conservation, education, and research challenges for sea turtle conservation. The partnership opened communication between conservationists from the GSUSTP@SCI and engineers from Kashmir Robotics, in an effort to evolve conservation practices that will be applicable not only for St. Catherines Island, but also for sea turtle programs around the world.
KwF in partnership with St. Catherines Island Foundation, GSUSTP@SCI, Georgia Sea Turtle Center, and Smith College are delighted to present the first conservation-focused field research ‘Fly for Conservation Expedition 001” In March 2017, Expedition 001 will bring together engineers, scientists, conservationists, educators, and students on St. Catherines Island in Georgia, for a the three day fully immersive program that will dive into the world of endangered species conservation using unmanned aerial systems (UAS).
KwF engineers and conservationists from a variety of fields will present, discuss, and highlight the value of custom autonomous drones to help overcome longstanding barriers to conservation efforts. Professor Jon Caris, Director of Spatial Analysis Lab and his team of students from Smith College will collaborate with KwF engineers and conservationists to learn about drone technology with a focus on mapping and image analysis to contribute to ongoing drone research by KwF with GSUSTP@SCI. Students will have additional opportunities to map and image other areas on the island including terrapin tortoise burrows, diamondback turtles, archeological sites, dynamic beach systems, impacts from Hurricane Matthew, and other flora and fauna habitats and ecosystem.