As the days get shorter, the nights get cooler, the growing season comes to end, and mother nature certainly finds ways to show off her splendor. This year, the fall foliage is predicted to be more vibrant than years past, partly attributed to several days of early frost in mid-September in many areas of northwest PA and southwest NY.
Recently Matt Robinson, licensed surveyor and drone pilot with EcoStrategies Engineering & Surveying, PLLC, spent some time with Mike McEntire, Regional Investment Forester with Forest Investment Associates on FIA property in Warren County, Pennsylvania. Matt was able to capture some spectacular “bird’s eye” views of the foliage. The drone can capture still shot images as well as video segments as it flies and provides a unique view of the landscape and fall foliage.
Drones not only offer the ability to get some amazing photography and video imaging that can be used for marketing and recreational photography, but they also offer a variety of additional services that FORECON and our clients rely on. Drones are a very efficient way to provide reconnaissance of properties, without spending time and extra expense on the ground physically walking the entire property. Drones can be especially useful in surveying wind and storm damage to timber, evaluating insect and disease outbreaks and defoliation in woodlots, and in property surveillance for trespassing and timber theft. Continual research is being done to find other useful services for drones, such as identifying and measuring trees, plant and wildlife surveys and security. While recreational drones are available to the general public, it is important to note that commercial use of drones requires a licensed and insured pilot to operate them. Matt is a fully licensed & insured FAA Drone Pilot.
Feel free to contact Matt at EcoStrategies Engineering and Surveying, PLLC at 716-664-5603 or visit their website at http://ecostrategiespllc.com/ for more information about the suite of services they offer such as civil engineering, surveying, landscape architecture and drone services to name a few.
What’s the winter going to be like?
As the fall days get shorter and the temperatures get colder, we can feel the approach of winter in our bones. In these times of uncertainty, especially this year, it’s certainly comforting to look to mother nature for some guidance and reflection. One of the clues to forecasting the winter months ahead, as folklore has it, is the appearance of the “Wooly Bear Caterpillar.” The Wooly Bear is the larval stage of the Isabella Tiger Moth, and as legend suggests, its colorations indicate the severity of the winter months ahead. The wider the brown colorations on the caterpillar, the milder the winter. Conversely, the wider the black portions of the caterpillar the more severe the winter will be.
While flying the drone, we found this Wooly Bear scurrying across the ground. Based on our observations, looks like quite a bit of brown and we’re banking on a milder winter! Keep your eyes out on your travels and maybe a Wooly Bear Caterpillar can let you know what’s in store for winter conditions in your parts.
Get out and enjoy mother nature if you are able as she shows off her fall splendor, and certainly don’t hesitate to give us a call here at FORECON for all your woodlot management needs.
Fall and winter offer an excellent time to harvest timber and typically timber markets are in their prime. Give us call today at 716-664-5602 to speak to a forester or fill out the form below and one of out team will contact you.