BASELINE IMAGERY FOR WETLAND AND MEADOW DEVELOPMENT AT A FORMER LANDFILL SITE

The Roanoke College Environment Center (RCEC), a 1.56-acre site in Salem, VA, is a research and restoration site. The Environment Center consists of a landfill (with plans of being converted into a meadow), a swale (with plans of being converted into a wetland), and a forest. Meadow and wetland restoration can be analyzed with topographic base-map models and can be monitored with a time-series of aerial imagery acquired using the same parameters for each flight. Here, we present the initial base-map models for a former landfill located at the RCEC using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-based methods. Using standard methods of data collection and processing, we will collect periodic imagery of the site to assess meadow and wetland development rates at this site. The overall goal of the RCEC is to eventually restore the area to promote biodiversity through conservation initiatives, provide opportunities for students to conduct ecological stewardship and research, and monitor the success of restoration plans. Through collaboration, we aim to establish baseline imagery that can be used to monitor the change of the RCEC over time.