August Lunch and Learn: Georgia Forestry Commission's UAS Program & Their Uses in Forestry

• Tuesday, August 11, 2026
• 12:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m.

August Lunch and Learn:Georgia Forestry Commission's UAS Program & Their Uses in Forestry

• How to become a UAS Pilot
• General operating rules
• General forest reconnaissanceSite preparation monitoringTimber sale monitoring
• Site preparation monitoring
• Timber sale monitoring
• Monitoring for forest health issuesPine bark beetle spots discoveryInspecting crowns for forest health damageSurveying storm damage
• Pine bark beetle spots discovery
• Inspecting crowns for forest health damage
• Surveying storm damage
• Aerial Mapping to create georeferenced orthomosaic imagery
• Experimenting with tree inventory metrics obtained through Structure from Motion derived 3D point clouds
• Surveillance for illicit activities on State Lands
• Aerial Photography for educational and promotional materials
• (If there's time) Rx Burning & Fire ControlAerial ignition with larger droneOverwatch for Rx Burns and wildfiresFind spot fires easily with thermal camerasPortable fire towers for looking for smoke/potential wildfires
• Aerial ignition with larger drone
• Overwatch for Rx Burns and wildfiresFind spot fires easily with thermal cameras
• Find spot fires easily with thermal cameras
• Portable fire towers for looking for smoke/potential wildfires

ISA Certified Arborists, municipal arborists, urban foresters, consulting arborists, tree care company managers, and anyone interested in becoming a drone pilot or using drones in their arboriculture practice.

Matthew Mrizek is a Staff Forester with the Georgia Forestry Commission. His main responsibility is the manager of Dixon Memorial State Forest, Georgia's largest State Forest. He also assists with the management of GFC's UAS Program. He is a Registered Forester and has his Part 107 certificate.

1 ISA CEU applied for.

REGISTER HERE