The Drone Rangers
Science Takes to the Sky!
We are a woman-led team of drone pilots, rangeland scientists, and educators, and we are passionate about greater education in the world of drone flying and science. Drones are bringing new opportunities to all kinds of scientific endeavors, and we want to share all of this information - that's our mission!
This site is focused on bridging the gap between educational and professional settings when it comes to the uses and applications of drones for research, field work, and land management. Feel free to reach out to us on our Outreach Center page, and we look forward to connecting with you in the future. |
Tracy Shane is a faculty lecturer, PhD candidate and certified rangeland management specialist in the
Department of Agriculture, Veterinary and Rangeland Science. She is passionate about agriculture education and has taught courses in a variety of subject areas including livestock production, rangeland management, rangeland vegetation monitoring, sheep production, beef production, rangeland livestock interactions, introduction to veterinary medicine and senior seminars. She frequently volunteers her time during the Nevada State FFA convention and has taught K-12 teachers about agriculture in Nevada. Ms. Shane leads a team of graduate and undergraduate students in ecological data collection and data processing and analysis. She enjoys outdoor activities such as camping, mountain biking, and hiking with her family and dog. Tracy's ResearchMs. Shane has several research interests including the remote sensing of drylands, use of emerging
technologies such as small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) for assessing rangeland condition, wildland fuel loads and detecting landscape changes, and evaluation of wildlife and livestock foraging effects on dryland ecosystems. |
Hannah Potts is an undergrad student at the University of Nevada, Reno working towards her Bachelors in Geography with an Emphasis in Environmental Policy and Management and a minor in Writing. She is passionate about public lands and their protection, as well as specific issues related to mine land reclamation. She is a licensed drone pilot, and joined Tracy Shane's field team in 2022 to help with flights and processing of data. She worked in 2021 as a member of the Nevada Division of Mineral's Abandoned Mine Land field crew, working to locate, catalog, and secure abandoned mine features across the state of Nevada. She has used her experience in geographic information systems (GIS) in both of these roles, as well as in her research projects and interests. She currently works as the student worker for the Mackay School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, focusing on community outreach and recruitment, especially to under represented populations in science. She works as a GIS intern for the Daniel Boone National Forest in Kentucky, helping to catalog and streamline their spatial data. She lives in Carson City, Nevada, and enjoys backpacking, hiking, wood working, baking, and embroidery.
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