This page shows some of the people I know who love to plant, support pollinators and help make the greater Denver area a more beautiful place. It also speaks to how drones offer a unique partnership to nature that wasn't around 20 years ago.
My wife Lynn and I are supporters of Plant Select, which recommends beautiful and low-water plants for garden enthusiasts in the Front Range and beyond. (I was honored be receive their Individual Partner Award in 2021.)
On a big-picture scale, drones are being used for many things in the planting and agriculture arenas.
When wildfires ravaged California, drones were used to drop seeds, helping to reseed burned-out forest areas. They also help first responders keep track of wildfire spread, help contain burn areas and much more. Our state operates the Colorado Center for Excellence for Advanced Technology Aerial Firefighting (CoE) in Rifle, CO. (My story on this place can be found in the "As Seen In" section.)
Farmers are using drones to map fields, spray plants, study crop growth and determine if their plants are healthy or are being irrigated properly.
In urban areas, people are using drone photography to learn that bird's-eye perspective about their yards and plants in a variety of ways...
Audubon Rockies unique Habitat Hero event in Longmont, CO
Panayoti, senior curator and outreach coordinator at Denver Botanic Gardens, is known globally for his work. It would take an entire website to talk about this good friend and his recognition in the botanical world. I simply refer to this gardening guru as "the most interesting man in the world." His awards are nearly endless.
Here is a video leaving Panayoti from his home garden in Denver, shot in Spring 2021.
My friend Donna Baker-Breningstall and her family lives in this historic log cabin in Denver, close to Colorado Boulevard. (It does have "modern conveniences" inside... just in case you were curious.)
Donna is a Colorado Master Gardener whose efforts have led to an Audubon Rockies Habitat Hero Award. She supports the Colorado Native Plant Society and Wild Ones, Front Range chapter. She donates most of the organic food she grows to the local food pantry.
This serene setting frequently has been the scene for many garden tours because of Donna's passion for native plants that attract pollinators and transport visitors back to a simpler era. The place is awesome - thanks, Donna, for welcoming my drone and I to shoot your epic place.
Lynn's efforts using low-water plants have brought beauty and pollinators to our home in the Cherry Creek 3 HOA complex in southeast Denver. They have attracted garden tours and visitors, plus appearances in two Eco documentaries and several awards. Lynn is a Colorado Master Gardener and member of the Colorado Native Plant Society (Cherry Creek 3 is the first Colorado HOA TO win recognition as an Audubon Rockies Habitat Hero winner and a Plant Select demonstration garden.) (www.plantselect.org)
Colorado Gardener Magazine feature April 2021 (pdf)
DownloadWestward Mag Xeriscape story 9.7.21 (pdf)
DownloadAudubon Rockies abuzz with Longmont pollinator garden - The Longmont Leader (pdf)
DownloadMy friends at Little Valley (Brighton Colorado) are using a series of my drone photos on the front page of their website. Please check it out at: https://www.lvwn.com/