At Candrone Demo Day 2025, we caught up with Pablo Crespell Montero, a research fellow at the College of New Caledonia (CNC) in Prince George, BC. Pablo is spearheading innovation in forestry through drone technology and remote sensing. In an interview with Jacky Heshi, Pablo shared how drones are reshaping the way researchers and industry professionals approach forest inventory, wildfire assessment, and conservation of ancient trees.
From Traditional to Technological: Drones in Forestry
Pablo’s team at CNC operates within the forestry sector, a field traditionally reliant on manual ground-based methods. These approaches, while time-tested, come with significant downsides—namely:
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High labor demands
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Exposure to safety risks
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Limited spatial coverage
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Lower accuracy in complex terrain
Enter drone technology. With the adoption of orthophoto photogrammetry and LiDAR scanning, CNC is now capturing faster, more precise, and safer data than ever before. “I’ve been playing with drones and LiDAR for the last months,” Pablo said, “and I’ve seen fantastic results. I’m optimistic that we can achieve higher levels of accuracy than with traditional field methods.”
Real Applications: Forest Inventory and Wildfire Risk Assessment
One of the central goals of CNC’s research is improving forest inventory processes. This involves:
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Measuring wood volume in specific stands
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Identifying tree species and composition
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Assessing canopy structure to understand wildlife habitat and fuel load for wildfires
These insights are critical not only for commercial forestry but also for ecological monitoring and fire management. Drone-mounted LiDAR enables researchers to collect high-resolution 3D data on branch height, density, and distribution—all key indicators for determining fuel risk and forest health.
Testing SLAM in the Forest: A Glimpse at the Future
Pablo also shared his team’s experience with SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping), a scanning technique especially useful in dense, GPS-denied environments. “We just used SLAM three days ago,” he said. CNC is in the process of launching a remote sensing lab, funded by the federal government, which will include:
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Handheld LiDAR sensors
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Multispectral imaging tools
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Terrestrial laser scanners (TLS)
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SLAM-capable devices, such as Hovermap-style scanners
These tools will allow CNC to capture interior forest structures with incredible precision, whether from the air, on foot, or underground.
Success Story: Mapping Ancient Giants
In one recent project, Pablo’s team set out to identify tall, old-growth trees—particularly cedar and spruce—in an ancient forest near Prince George. Using provincial airborne LiDAR data (ALS), they pinpointed promising candidates and then validated their findings in the field.
“The data was accurate,” Pablo confirmed. “We were able to find all the trees and get exact coordinates.” The combination of remote sensing and on-the-ground validation allowed the team to document these ancient giants without extensive field labor, showcasing how drone data can support environmental conservation and research-based decision-making.
Powered by Candrone: A Growing Partnership
CNC’s research lab has been built with equipment sourced from Candrone, including LiDAR payloads, drones, and other sensing technology. Pablo’s relationship with Candrone began during the lab’s development and brought him to Demo Day 2025 to stay ahead of emerging trends in drone applications.
“We got all the equipment from you guys,” he said, “and that’s how I learned about this event.”
The Future: Widespread Adoption Across Forestry
Looking ahead, Pablo sees drones becoming a standard tool for forestry professionals across public and private sectors. Whether it’s government ministries, industry operators, or environmental NGOs, he believes drone tech will be “adopted across the board” for its efficiency, safety, and data quality.
