257-12 Costa Rica Drone Camp: An International Experiential Learning Course on UAV Imaging in the Earth and Environmental Sciences

Session: Diversifying Geoscience Education Across the Academic Playing Field: Using Creative Methods to Foster the Current and Next Generations of Geoscience Professionals (Posters)

Poster Booth No.: 12

Presenting Author:

Jeffrey Marshall

Authors:

Marshall, Jeffrey S.¹, Conway-Gómez, Kristen², Roberts, Warren³, Protti, Marino⁴, Sibaja-Brenes, José P.⁵, Araya, Juan C.⁶

(1) Geological Sciences Department, Cal Poly Pomona, Pomona, California, USA, (2) Geography and Anthropology Department, Cal Poly Pomona, Pomona, California, USA, (3) Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Department, Río Hondo College, Whittier, California, USA, (4) OVSICORI-UNA, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica, (5) Laboratorio de Química de la Atmósfera, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica, (6) Firestone Center for Restoration Ecology, Pitzer College, Playa Dominical, Costa Rica,

Abstract:

UAV imaging has revolutionized the earth and environmental sciences by allowing for quick, high-resolution field mapping of landforms and biota. In April 2024, we ran a two-week international experiential learning course called “Costa Rica Drone Camp: UAV Imaging in the Earth and Environmental Sciences”. During this course, the students learned to fly DJI Mavic drones, record aerial photos and videos, and generate photogrammetric maps using Pix4D software. Fieldwork was conducted in two primary areas, Playa Dominical on the central Pacific coast, and Playa Sámara on the Nicoya Peninsula. UAV field exercises included imaging a coastal estuary at high and low tide, mapping a landslide complex on steep deforested pastureland, and recording images of beach and rock outcrops affected by recent earthquake uplift. Throughout the trip, faculty shared their expertise through lectures on geology, tectonics, geography, and UAV imaging. Participants also engaged in other learning activities, including touring historical and cultural sites, field trips to active volcanoes (Irazú and Poás), hiking and kayaking in rainforest reserves (Hacienda Barú and Camaronal), exploring geologic outcrops and natural disaster sites, and visiting seismic, geodetic, and volcanic monitoring stations. The students also interacted first-hand with Costa Rican scientists, learning about drone-based sampling of acidic crater water at Volcán Poás, and operation of a national seismic and geodetic network at the Costa Rican Volcanologic and Seismologic Observatory (OVSICORI-UNA). The student cohort included 10 Cal Poly Pomona undergraduates (7 Geology, 3 Geography), 1 Cal Poly San Luis Obispo undergraduate (General Engineering), plus 2 Cal Poly Pomona Geology graduate teaching assistants. The group traveled in two rental Hyundai H1 passenger vans driven by faculty. Lodging was provided by the La Sabana Hotel and Suites (San José), Pitzer College Firestone Center for Restoration Ecology (Playa Dominical), and Hotel Belvedere (Playa Sámara). The course was funded in part by the Cal Poly Pomona Special Projects for Improving the Classroom Experience Program (SPICE), and the Field Experience Support Program of the California State University Council on Ocean Affairs, Science, and Technology (COAST).

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Program. Vol. 57, No. 6, 2025

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