Landscapes
Wild places seen whole
Some landscapes are too vast, too remote, or too ecologically important to protect from the ground alone. LightHawk leads the way from above, using aviation to accelerate impact.
The Focus
A landscape is more than scenery.
It is habitat, a watershed, working land, and a living history woven together at a scale that can only truly be understood from above. From the red rock canyons of the Colorado Plateau to the ridgelines of the Appalachians, LightHawk helps reveal how these different systems connect, and what it will take to hold them together.
Our program team co-designs flight campaigns with our pilots and partners so that every hour in the air produces the desired outcomes: imagery for easement monitoring, insights for storytelling, data for science and research, and the kind of firsthand aerial experience that turns a decision-maker’s uncertainty into resolve.
From the Flight Log
Recent developments
Featured Mission
Twelve Glaciers. Two and a Half Hours.
Colorado’s glaciers and perennial snowfields are shrinking. Documenting those changes means reaching remote mountain sites and gathering photographs from many…
Flown with Colorado State University
Featured Mission
From 1,300 Miles on Foot to One Powerful View from Above
Starting high in the Rocky Mountains, the Colorado River winds south through some of the most dramatic and heavily used…
Flown with Keep the River Running
Featured Mission
Aerial Tours Expose Mine Risk to Bitterroot Watershed
The Bitterroot River winds through a picturesque valley in Western Montana, its meandering path carving a winding streambed across the…
Featured Mission
Protecting Maine’s Landscapes and Waterways
There’s a narrow stretch of water in central Maine called the Serpentine that connects East and North Ponds. From the…
Featured Mission
Telling the Story of a River Under Pressure
The Colorado River supplies water to nearly 40 million people, supports agriculture across the Southwest, and sustains communities, wildlife, and…
Featured Mission
Improving Urban Conservation in New Jersey
Flying over northern New Jersey isn’t easy. The airspace is complex, but that’s exactly where LightHawk volunteer pilot Mike McNamara…
Keep Exploring
More priorities
Beyond landscapes, LightHawk drives a wider range of conservation work forward.
Priority
Watersheds
From water-quality monitoring to habitat restoration, safeguarding the rivers and wetlands that keep ecosystems alive.
Explore Watersheds
Priority
Coastlines
Taking flight to protect oceans, coastlines, and the rich biodiversity that coastal communities depend on.
Explore Coastlines
Priority
Wildlife
A lifeline for endangered species — from safe wildlife transport to aerial tracking and habitat connectivity.
Explore WildlifePut the aerial perspective to work.
If your organization works on landscapes conservation, a LightHawk flight is available at no direct cost to qualifying partners.