PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Jones Bay Wildlife Reserve is a 123-hectare wetland comprising of treeless Swamp Scrub ecological vegetation class. The reserve falls within the Gippsland Lakes RAMSAR wetland and is frequently home to eight migratory bird species listed under the international Japan Australia Migratory Birds Agreement 1974 (JAMBA), China Australia Migratory Birds Agreement 1987 (CAMBA), and the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals.

As a part of the conservation effort to preserve and maintain the condition of the wetland and the habitat it provides, Parks Victoria commissioned Uaviation to conduct a baseline survey to establish the condition and composition of the native vegetation.

Uaviation’s team of ecologists utilised autonomous unmanned aircraft (Drones) to systematically collect aerial imagery in four bands of the electromagnetic spectrum (Red, Green, Blue and Near Infra-red).

This data was then analysed to through Uaviation’s proprietary imagery analysis algorithms to differentiate between common native flora species, invasive weeds, salt deposits, intertidal zones, EVCs, bare ground, rubbish, and debris.

The extent of these categories was provided to Parks Victoria in the form of spatial data and high-resolution aerial imagery. This data now stands as the baseline for future surveys and will trigger and inform management actions should major changes be detected, or an environmental incident occur such as major flooding, storms, fire or pollution event