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Kansas Location Kyle Kukuk Contact Service Lines Solid WasteUAV & GeospatialWetland & Ecological Assessment Project Summary Blackstone recently completed an annual vegetation survey for an Alternative Earthen Final Cover (AEFC) at a Kansas landfill. The AEFC design includes native grasses, wildflowers (forbs), and trees. The goal of the AEFC is to produce a final cover that provides a more naturally sustainable, ecosystem-based design requiring less maintenance and providing improved structural integrity, water uptake, vegetation health, nutrient recycling, and wildlife/aesthetic characteristics. The AEFC design is intended to encourage/accelerate the re-establishment of a native grassland-woodland community on the landfill after closure of each area.  Services Provided The annual vegetation survey included the evaluation of overall health of AEFC areas and determination if additional seeding or maintenance was required. Areas planted in native grasses and forbs were surveyed for species diversity, and a tree survival count was conducted in tree planting areas. Areas of significant stands of volunteer trees were identified. Areas were also surveyed for the presence…

Iowa Location Mat Edwards Contact Service Lines Unmanned Aerial Vehicle & Geosptaial Service Project Summary Iowa received record rainfall in 2019. The Missouri River basin received more runoff in three months than it typically gets in a year. Some farmers in Southwest Iowa found their crops flooded multiple times this spring, causing them to evaluate crop insurance and replanting considerations. Jesse Stimson of Stimson Farms, LLC, found himself in that exact situation. He approached Blackstone Environmental to fly his flooded fields and create GIS maps to aid his crop insurance and replanting efforts. Services Provided Aerial Imagery from Drone: Blackstone’s FAA-licensed drone pilot was deployed to Stimson Farms, near Braddyville, Iowa. He began creating a flight plan to map flood damage and areas that would likely require replanting. After carefully considering the local terrain, airspace restrictions, and potential landing areas, Blackstone began mapping each flooded field. Damaged crops were photographed in specific locations to create a "boots-on-the-ground" connection between the drone imagery and actual crop conditions in the field. Each flooded area…