Pearl Flies a Drone

It has been an exciting week for Pearl- she got to fly a drone! Missisquoi River Basin Association's partner organization Upper Missisquoi and Trout Rivers Wild & Scenic (UMATR) recently purchased a drone. After learning everything they could about the drone, Pearl, Sarah, and Ruby went out into the watershed and took it for a test run.

The first stop was in Troy to get familiar with the feeling of flying the drone. Here, Pearl got familiar with the controls of the drone and took some pictures and videos to practice and commemorate the first official flight.

Next up was Big Falls in North Troy. This may have been the best session of the day. The pictures and videos turned out amazing. Pearl will definitely be going back here in the future to get more photos of the river. Absolutely breathtaking!

After that, a quick stop to Riverwalk Park in Montgomery was made. The drone flew in the field and over the river. Here, everyone was more secure and confident with using the drone and things were going well. Some videos were taken but that tool could use more practice.

To finish off the day, Pearl visited the Brownway River Trail in Enosburg Falls. By this point, most of the day was spent flying the drone and it was finally feeling more comfortable. In typical Brownway fashion, a whole flock of geese were enjoying the river. It was nice to get practice flying closer to the river and get pictures of the geese hanging out.

While Pearl is still unsure how she feels about the drone, she is warming up to it.

Why did UMATR purchase a drone you may be wondering? This piece of equipment will allow for a new vantage point of the Missisquoi and Trout Rivers that may not be accessible to everyone. Getting above the rivers and close to the waters surface will expand on the knowledge and understanding of the rivers. Additionally, the pictures and videos can be added to MRBA and UMATRs websites to be enjoyed by all and inspire those to get out and enjoy the rivers. The drone will be utilized to capture pictures and videos of projects such as dam removals and tree plantings. The drone will also be making appearances at UMATR events over the summer! While there is still a lot to learn about the drone, Pearl is excited to get back out there and continue to fly.

Be sure to follow MRBA on social media @mrbavt to see Pearl's drone progress and pictures!