Category: Featured Mission
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Documenting Transmission Line Impact to Arizona’s San Pedro Valley
Earlier this month, LightHawk took to the sky with conservation partner Archeology Southwest. The flight aimed to assess the SunZia transmission line and document its impacts on cultural and natural resources. Volunteer pilot Michael Schroeder provided the flight for seven passengers to gain an aerial perspective on the issue. The transmission line construction runs right…
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Small Passengers, Big Stakes for Mexican Wolves
In early May, LightHawk once again took part in one of North America’s most remarkable species recovery efforts, flying Mexican wolf pups for cross-fostering into wild dens. Mexican wolves came perilously close to disappearing from the wild in the United States and Mexico. Their recovery began with a captive breeding program founded with just seven…
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Bringing Bobwhite Quail Back to Pennsylvania
In March, several masked bobwhite quail took an important step toward returning to the wild, traveling flight from Florida to Pennsylvania for release. LightHawl Volunteer pilot Benjamin Cohen, joined by his son Casey, transported the birds in his Beechcraft Bonanza, where Pennsylvania Game Commission officials met them for the final journey to their release site.…
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Flying for the Santa Cruz, One of America’s Most Endangered Rivers
The Santa Cruz River cuts through southern Arizona’s desert landscape, where restoration efforts have brought wildlife back even as water scarcity continues to threaten its future. Photo by Julius Schlosburg. LightHawk conservation partner American Rivers recently released their list of the most endangered rivers in the United States. The Santa Cruz River in Arizona was…
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Tracing the Causes of Algal Blooms in Florida Bay
Researchers survey Florida Bay from above, gaining a landscape-scale view of the waterways, mangroves and coastal systems that may be contributing to persistent algal blooms. Photo by Jay Apt/LightHawk. Earlier this year, Florida International University researchers partnered with LightHawk to gain a broader view of Florida Bay and better understand the changes reshaping the ecosystem.…