Tseshaht First Nation in Port Alberni is getting involved in the forest industry in a new way, with the help of drones.
The Indigenous Forestry Conference in Port Alberni earlier this month featured a special presentation from Maktlee Drone Services, a 100 percent Tseshaht-owned and operated drone company. In the Nuu-chah-nulth language, Maktlee means “higher than others.”
Ben Durkan, a Tseshaht forester, said that drones are used for "every aspect of forestry," from the planning phases to the engineering phase to the day-to-day operations. The drones can be used for safety reviews, production reviews, surveys and even tree planting.
Aerial light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology means that the drones can take more accurate readings and create 3D models by detecting features that would be invisible to the naked eye. This is helpful for engineering cutblocks and creating topographical maps.
The forest industry is often misunderstood, said Durkan, because people are unaware of exactly what happens out in the forest.
"It's a great tool to bring all this information in, having the ability to get a video presentation and show the community their territory and all the things that are going on in there," Durkan said.
Durkan explained that Maktlee Drone Services was formed with the intent of attracting younger members into the forest industry. Fully certified drone pilots (and Tseshaht members) Kawliga Watts and Alex Gus provide drone services that specialize in forestry, fisheries, agriculture and civil engineering applications. Watts first heard about the job opportunity while he was laid off from his former mill job. As a recreational drone user, he was immediately interested.
"I was usually working as a labourer in the workforce," he said. "So I get to use my mind more than I was in the workforce before."
Watts is looking forward to building up Maktlee Drone Services, adding a bigger fleet and more pilots in the future.
"What we're doing is very exciting because it's an awesome technology that we're dealing with," he said. "This is a whole new opportunity for us."
Gus agrees that the opportunity is an exciting one. Maktlee Drone Services, he said, has already had "tremendous support" from Tseshaht leaders and other members.
"It gave me a glimpse into the forest industry," he said. "There's a huge future in this business with both [forestry and drones]. They go hand in hand."
Drones aren't new technology, Durkan said, but every day Tseshaht is finding new things to do with them. He suggested that drones could be used in the future during wildfire season to help with firefighting. While drones are currently used for detecting hot spots after a fire is put out, Durkan said that they could be used in a more preventative way.
"[Wildfires] seem to be getting worse and worse," said Durkan. "Maybe there's an opportunity to start finding these fires."
Outside of forestry, Maktlee Drone Services has been hired to survey the Alberni Valley Landfill and take a look at congestion around Clutesi Haven Marina.
"Those are the kinds of things that are really opening it up for members of Tseshaht," said Durkan. "It's not just consultation and a checkbox, it's actually getting involved and being part of the decisions that are being made in their territory."
For more information about Maktlee Drone Services, visit www.maktleedrone.ca.
