A state-of-the-art remote sensing lab is coming to the College of New Caledonia (CNC).
On Wednesday, Aug. 13, the post-secondary education institute announced its Applied Research Team has been awarded the Applied Research Tools and Instruments (ARTI) grant through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), worth $170,775.
“The ARTI grant allows us to acquire and apply the most current digital detection technology to address current innovation needs of communities and the forestry sector within our region, while offering students firsthand experience with important technologies that are reshaping natural resources stewardship,” said CNC director of applied research Carl Pollard.
According to CNC, "remote sensing is the science of obtaining information about objects or areas from a distance, typically from aircraft or satellites." This technology has potential for the planning, execution, and monitoring of forestry, wildlife management, and other applications in natural resources.
With the grant, the CNC will be able to acquire LiDAR scanners which allow researchers to capture, analyze and get a better understanding of individual tree characteristics, forest structure, and wildfire hazards.
“Remote-sensing technologies and software are continuously evolving, and we are committed to keeping up with these developments and their applications in natural resources management,” said CNC research fellow Dr. Pablo Crespell, who will lead the research activities. “We anticipate a great deal of student and faculty involvement, in a mutually beneficial learning model, which guides our actions”.
Access to this lab will help the CNC's Natural Resources and Forestry Technology program as well as expand programs where learning involves mapping and surverying.
