Windswept Cranberry Bog Drone Mapping,
Nantucket Conservation Foundation

SummitWest was hired by the Nantucket Conservation Foundation to perform drone mapping of their Windswept Cranberry Bog property. This long-term drone mapping project will provide critical data to monitor the vegetation transition from commercial cranberry cultivation to native wetland habitat.

SummitWest uses low flight elevation drone mapping across the 231-acre cranberry field, with initial mapping aimed at establishing a vegetative baseline map, and subsequent annual mapping geared towards monitoring changes in the vegetation communities during the transition back to a naturally functioning wetland. This work requires low altitude flying as a result of both the close proximity between the Cranberry Bog and the Nantucket Memorial Airport and the drone manufacturer’s low altitude limit. This low altitude restriction increases the transect density and the total number of images collected per survey. SummitWest has established eight discrete observation positions to effectively navigate mature tree stands interfering with sightlines and flat topography.

Project Highlights

Client: Nantucket Conservation Foundation,
Date: 2019-current
Location: Nantucket, MA
Size: 231-acres

Services Provided

Study Design and Analysis
Drone Imagery Services
High Resolution Photography
Image Analysis
Vegetation Community Mapping and Monitoring
Project Database Management
Technical Report Preparation