Reaching High-Hanging Fruit: Simple Drone and Geographic Information System Wins That Help Parks Fly

Thursday, October 1 from 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM EST

Room 113AB

Session Type: 1-Hour Education Session

Topic(s):
Communication, Data and Evaluation, Operations and Maintenance, Planning and Design, Technology

Description:
Park and recreation departments don’t need large budgets or advanced technical teams to get big wins from drones and geographic information systems (GIS). In this session, City of Lincoln (Nebraska) Parks and Recreation Department Director Maggie Stuckey-Ross and GIS Analyst/Drone Coordinator David Ross show how simple workflows can help agencies reach “high-hanging fruit” — the practical, high-value tasks that become easy once you add an aerial perspective. Using a format that moves from a problem to a drone solution to an outcome, Stuckey-Ross presents real challenges, Ross demonstrates how drones and GIS addressed them, and together they explain how the final products supported planning, communication and decision making. Use cases include: 1) Construction observation: Repeating flights can support progress tracking, stakeholder updates and post-construction asset digitization; 2) Storm recovery: Modeling tree debris can be used to estimate storm-damaged tree mass and mulch quantities; and 3) Marketing and storytelling: Drone imagery and models generate clear visuals for leadership, partners and the public. Designed for beginners and intermediates, this session highlights simple processes, approachable workflows and lessons learned — with playful nods to the Philadelphia Eagles — as we explore how aerial tools help parks take flight.

Learning Objectives:

1. Attendees will learn to identify practical park challenges and determine when simple drone and mapping workflows can provide valuable visual information to support staff and leadership.

2. Attendees will be able to apply beginner-friendly drone capture and GIS techniques to create impactful products including progress imagery, 3D models and visual updates for planning and communication.

3. Attendees will acquire the skills needed to evaluate completed drone and GIS products and understand how these visuals can strengthen decision making, public communication and long-term management.

Speaker(s):
Maggie Stuckey-Ross
David Ross