Seeing the amazing rātā bloom from space in the Predator Free South Westland project area, which has been free of possums for several years, thanks to the work of Predator Free NZ Trust, ZIP and the Department of Conservation.
Rātā is a favourite food for possums, who munch on the leaves and shoots. Too many possums in the forest can lead to the death of these magnificent trees. Pest control doesn’t lead to a great rātā bloom, but it does mean that rātā trees survive to have these spectacular shows.
Interpine partners with Planet to provide daily cover of all of New Zealand everyday from space with 3-4m resolution satellite coverage in up to 8 spectral bands. Check out the timelapse video, and comparative before and after bloom in the Butler River valley in South Westland.
Learn more about the project in a recent DOC Facebook post: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Ds3A8Lq9o/
And this is the amazing views from the ground and via drone imagery from teams at Predator NZ Trust and ZIP.
On Ground and Drone Image Credit: Predator Free South Westland and ZIP Team; Jase Blair/Katabatic
Interpine are not directly involved in the project, but we could not resist checking out what this amazing feature of our natural ecosystems here in NZ, looked like from space.