Winnipeg Students Saving Their Elm’s With Drones and Machine Learning
An aerial image of a neighbourhood in Winnipeg with a high proportion of Dutch elm disease. Half of the image is in standard colouring, the other half is NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index) which illustrates a plant health spectrum.
Winnipeg high school students are taking on a groundbreaking research projects that could help save the city's beautiful urban elm tree canopy from Dutch Elm Disease (DED). Through the Science Experiential Aerial Research (SEAR) program's Dutch Elm Disease Project, students are learning how to use drone technology and machine learning to detect early signs of DED. This incredible initiative is made possible through a collaboration between industry, government, academia, and education, with Research Manitoba providing funding to cover the majority of expenses for participating school divisions. Currently, students from three Winnipeg-based school divisions are participating, with space for all six divisions over the next two years. Not only are students gaining valuable technical skills and knowledge, but they are also contributing to groundbreaking research that could revolutionize the management of urban forests worldwide.
Using Technology to Combat Dutch Elm Disease
The Science Experiential Aerial Research (SEAR) program's Dutch Elm Disease Project teaches students how to use drone technology to collect aerial data and machine learning to analyze that data. This valuable data contributes to the research being conducted by the University of Winnipeg to combat Dutch Elm Disease (DED) in Winnipeg's urban elm trees. This hands-on training provides students with valuable technical skills that will be in high demand in many industries, preparing them for future careers in STEM fields. Students are also contributing to important research that could have far-reaching implications for the management of urban forests worldwide.
“The Dutch Elm Disease Project is a collaborative effort between multiple agencies to both conduct research, and engage students in learning valuable career skills while meeting curricular objectives along the way,” explained Matthew Johnson, Vice President of Volatus Aerospace and developer of the SEAR program. Johnson is one of the pioneers in developing educational programs for students in the early years of commercially available drone technology. A former mathematics teacher, Johnson first used drones in the classroom in 2017 to engage his grade 9 math students in trigonometry. He now is responsible for developing all of Volatus Aerospace’s education programs.
Grant Funding for the SEAR Program Is Available for Participating Divisions
Research Manitoba has provided funding to cover the majority of expenses for participating school divisions, making it possible for all six of Winnipeg's school divisions to take part in the program over the next two years. Currently, students from Winnipeg School Division, Louis Riel School Division, and Seven Oaks School Division are participating in the project. In June, nearly 80 students will meet at Kildonan Park in Winnipeg, where the students will take part in the “Data Collection Field Day” portion of the SEAR program. This is the second year that students from Seven Oaks School Division will be visiting Kildonan Park for these data collection efforts, and will be joined with several of their peers from other participating school divisions. Students will learn how to distinguish elm trees from other lookalikes, and how to identify the physical symptoms of Dutch elm disease in affected elms.
The concept of the research behind the Dutch Elm Disease Project is to use multispectral sensors on drones to identify characteristics and symptoms of the disease before it can even be seen with the human eye. Throughout the program, students learn the science behind the electromagnetic spectrum and photosynthesis, and how near-infrared light emitted from the sun interacts with chlorophyll in leaves in a way that essentially allows us to “see” how healthy the tree is, even if it looks completely normal to our eyes.
Students have been taking part in the program throughout the course of the school year, with the culmination of the program taking place just before the summer break. A new iteration of the program will begin in September 2023, providing an opportunity for students from other interested school divisions to take part in this high-tech opportunity to participate in research that can make a difference in their community and beyond. They are gaining valuable technical skills and knowledge that will benefit them in their future careers. And, most importantly, they are contributing to the preservation of Winnipeg's natural beauty and biodiversity.
How Can My School Division Take Part in the SEAR Program?
Anyone interested in learning more about the SEAR Program should Contact Us, or explore the SEAR Program section of our website!
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