A decade after Scion embraced unmanned aerial vehicles as a research tool, Mary Anne Gill discovers four researchers – Grace Villamoor, Ilze Pretorius, Richard Parker and Rosie Sargent – reshaping science on the ground.
UAVs are a key tool in forestry research
Ten years ago, a small team at Scion – now part of the Bioeconomy Science Institute – stood on the edge of a forest block with a drone the size of a coffee table and a hunch that airborne technology was about to change forestry forever.
At the time, drones were still novelties, more associated with hobbyists and film crews than scientists. But Scion’s researchers saw potential: a way to capture forests from above with unprecedented clarity, speed and safety.
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) now map forests in ultra‑high resolution, scan canopies with light detection and ranging technology, collect samples from treetops once reachable only by climbers, and even fly beneath the canopy to reveal the hidden architecture of stems and branches.
They have transformed how forests are measured and monitored, and enabled new science across climate adaptation, biosecurity, human factors and wood processing.
Bioeconomy Science Institute senior scientist Rosie Sargent
Behind that transformation are people whose work, passions and lived experiences reflect the same spirit of curiosity and innovation that launched Scion’s first drone into the sky.
Scion’s UAV journey began in 2012, when scientist David Pont started tracking advances in miniaturised laser scanning. Three years later, Scion paired a three‑kilogram LidarPod with a heavy‑lift drone from Aeronavics, a New Zealand company better known for supplying Hollywood. It was a bold move – the technology was new, expensive and untested in forestry.
The geomatics team quickly realised they could capture forest structure in ways previously impossible. As capability grew, so did industry interest. By 2020, 83 percent of New Zealand forestry companies were using drones for aerial imagery, a shift accelerated by Scion’s research, training and leadership through the Tools for Foresters initiative.
Today, Scion holds Civil Aviation Authority Part 102 certification, enabling advanced operations beyond standard licences. The autonomous systems team continues to push boundaries – from thermal imaging to sub‑canopy flight to aerial spraying systems tailored for forestry.
Grace Villamoor with 24-year-old kauri at Knapdale
Scientist Robin Hartley says the value is only increasing.
“We’re capturing spectral and thermal data to understand tree physiology remotely, and we’re working with companies to develop UAV spray systems specific to forestry needs. There’s huge potential still ahead.”
That sense of possibility is shared across the institute – including by four researchers whose work intersects with UAVs in surprising and meaningful ways.
For human geographer and climate adaptation specialist Dr Grace Villamoor, UAVs are more than tools – they’re windows into the future. Her work focuses on understanding risk, behaviour and decision‑making in a changing climate, and aerial data is increasingly central to that mission.
Grace’s journey to Scion spans continents. Originally from the Philippines, she studied forestry before completing a master’s in Germany and a PhD in human geography focused on biodiversity and rural livelihoods in Indonesia.
She arrived in Rotorua in 2019 and quickly found her place. She now leads three major projects – Resilient Forests, Bioenergy (socioeconomics) and Forest Flows decision‑support tools – all of which rely on understanding how people and landscapes respond to uncertainty.
Ilze Pretorius
Her recent appointment as a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Seventh Assessment Report is, she says, “a career‑defining moment.”
Outside work, Grace tends to her 70 orchids and cooks her way through cuisines, currently Vietnamese. Rotorua, she laughs, “mimics” her hometown of Los Baños, right down to the geothermal smell.
While UAVs help Scion look down on forests, atmospheric scientist Ilze Pretorius spends her days looking up.
As science lead for the five‑year Endeavour‑funded programme Protecting Aotearoa from wind‑dispersed pests, Ilze is developing an early‑warning system that predicts when and where airborne pests might arrive. It’s a complex challenge involving extreme atmospheric conditions, biological survival rates and real‑time modelling.
Ilze grew up in Johannesburg and completed degrees in geophysics, meteorology and atmospheric sciences before moving to New Zealand in 2015. The freedom to explore the outdoors safely was a major drawcard.
Her interest in environmental science began early. During a drought in primary school, she insisted her family reuse bathwater to save plants.
UAVs are becoming increasingly important to her research. They can collect airborne samples, validate atmospheric models and help track how spores, seeds or insects move through forest systems.
When she’s not modelling atmospheric flows, Ilze paints, tramps and chases after her two‑year‑old son, Jansen. Her artwork even hangs in Scion’s Rotorua building – a reminder that science and creativity often share the same spark.
Florian Graichen, Bioeconomy Science Institute GM forests to biobased products
If UAVs have changed how Scion sees forests, human factors scientist Richard Parker has changed how people work within them.
Richard’s work is grounded in the realities of forestry and fire operations. He spends much of his time on the front lines, observing how people work, identifying risks and designing solutions that make jobs safer and more productive.
“Sometimes a company calls and says, ‘People are being injured in this situation – can you investigate?’” he says.
His background is as hands‑on as his research. He worked in a logging crew between university study, volunteered as a firefighter and has designed everything from high‑vis shirts now used across the industry to award‑winning robots and remote‑controlled vehicles for post‑earthquake inspections.
Being embedded in the wildfire research team means UAVs are increasingly part of his world too. Drones can map fire behaviour, assess hazards and reduce the need for people to enter dangerous areas.
His goal for the year ahead is simple but ambitious: integrate human factors thinking across the entire Bioeconomy Science Institute.
Senior technologist Rosie Sargent has been with Scion for 25 years, long enough to see UAVs evolve from experimental gadgets to essential tools.
Her work centres on wood processing – drying, modification and scaling up new technologies for industry – but UAV‑derived data increasingly informs how wood quality is assessed and how forests are managed before logs even reach the mill.
“Understanding what’s happening in the forest helps us make better decisions about processing,” she says. “It’s all connected.”
Rosie’s days are wonderfully varied: analysing data, planning processing trials, driving forklifts, stacking timber or helping sawmills optimise their drying systems. She’s currently commissioning a new kiln control system that mirrors those used across New Zealand and Australia.
She’s excited about a new project on processing redwood timber – a species poised to become increasingly important in New Zealand.
Scion’s UAV journey began with a single drone and a bold idea. Now they’re catalysts for new science, new collaborations and new ways of seeing forests.
For Grace, Ilze, Richard and Rosie, UAVs intersect with their work in different ways, but the common thread is clear: innovation thrives when people are curious, courageous and willing to explore new perspectives – whether from the forest floor or 120 metres above it.
And as the Bioeconomy Science Institute looks to the next decade, the view from above has never been more important.
Human factors scientist Richard Parker works on the front lines of forestry research
