9:00am Wednesday 7th November 2012 in News

One of the drones

The use of drones is usually associated with foreign conflicts - but now unmanned aircraft are being employed to save stricken peat bogs in Upper Wharfedale.

The technology used in creating drones is now helping preserve the ancient threatened landscape in the Yorkshire Dales thanks to a joint venture between a wildlife charity and a science and technology body.

Unmanned aerial vehicles, known as UAVs, are being flown over peatland sites in and around Cray Moss to collect data and help experts create a detailed picture of the extent and severity of peatland degradation.

Images sent back from the aircraft are turned into a 3D model of the landscape.

The project is being spearheaded by the Yorkshire Peat Partnership in an initiative with the Science and Technology Facilities Council and the National Trust.

Mark Brown, data and monitoring officer for the peat partnership, said: “This technology was really only used by the military before, but it’s got to the stage now where it’s become affordable. It wasn’t really available to organisations such as ours, which are charities.”

UAVs can take such detailed photographs of the landscape that over the next few years experts will be able to pinpoint to the centimetre how much sphagnum moss has been lost.

“UAV technology is truly revolutionising aerial surveying and we will see a lot more of these tiny aircraft in the future,” said Mr Brown, “The information gathered here will allow us to examine the extent and severity of peat land degradation in far greater detail than previously possible.”

And the peat partnership will use the information to develop techniques to help future restoration works.

Jackie Smith, the partnership’s restoration officer, said: “To date we have blocked 361km peat drains, revegetated 38 hectares of bare peat and have monitored large areas of restoration. Any technology that will enable us to refine our techniques and help to restore even more of Yorkshire’s peatlands will always be encouraged.”